This Victorian boutique hotel takes a weekend on the Mornington Peninsula to a new level of luxury. Jackalope Hotel is smack-bang in the middle of the Peninsula's wine region in Merricks North, just next to Red Hill. The hotel is the 'passion project' of 28-year-old entrepreneur Louis Li, who worked with architecture firm Carr Design Group and Fabio Ongarato Design studio to design the hotel, which is his first. The impressive exterior maintains a modern austerity while naturally fitting into the rolling landscape. At the entrance to the hotel, guests are greeted by a seven-metre-tall sculpture of a Jackalope, the mythical horned rabbit of North American folklore the hotel is named after, which does seem overdone — but then, that also seems to be the point of the hotel's 'extravagance to surreal proportions' mindset. The 46 rooms offer terrace or vineyard views, with their double-the-size 'lair' suites offering the best views in the house. Each room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces and hand-crafted bespoke furnishings. If you're one for a good bath, the deep-soak, black Japanese tubs and exclusive Hunter Lab bath products will keep you utterly relaxed while you admire your fabulous self in the double vanities. It's a bathroom well deserving of a nice glass (or bottle) of local wine, that's for sure. If your private bath isn't quite enough, the landscaped gardens include a 30-metre infinity pool with an adjacent pavilion for spa treatments. The hotel also houses an extensive art collection, commissioned and installed specifically for the space for anyone looking to soak up some culture instead of sun. Yes, it's incredibly luxe. [caption id="attachment_641969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doot Doot Doot[/caption] And to be certain they are not outdone, Jackalope is also home to not one, but two restaurants, headed by chef Guy Stanaway. The fine dining option, oddly named Doot Doot Doot, centres around a menu of seasonal, local produce, while the cellar door, Rare Hare, is set amongst the hotel's winery and offers the requisite wine and food pairing. If you somehow get bored in this lap of luxury, the Peninsula is already home to over 50 cellar doors and restaurants, not to mention golf courses, natural hot springs, national parks and bay beaches. You can use our weekender's guide to the area to navigate. Of course, all this will cost you a pretty penny — rooms start at around $650 and go up to over $1000 per night. But for those looking to give themselves a little (or a lot) of pampering, Jackalope is the ideal spot for it.
When winter rolls around, it's all too easy to hide away and only catch glimpses of the outside world through your Instagram feed. This year, fight the urge to bundle up on the couch for the next few months and go cure the inevitable wanderlust you'll get from scrolling through social media. You don't even have to go that far. Especially when spots like Port Stephens are an easy 2.5-hour drive away. You might associate the area with sun and surf, but it's packed with spots that are perfect for chilly days, too. Picture yourself kicking back in a comfy couch with a top-shelf tipple while staring out at still water. Or, how about blissing out in a hot tub after an aromatherapy massage? Then there are the whales. 'Tis the season for watching after all. We've got your itinerary covered below. Now, all you've gotta do is book the trip. [caption id="attachment_774058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SET SAIL TO WATCH FOR WHALES Between May and October every year, thousands of humpback whales swim along Australia's east coast, and one of the best places to watch them just so happens to be Port Stephens. Climb aboard a tour that you can book though Concrete Playground Trips to spend three hours cruising in the deep, looking out for tail slaps, body rolls and breaches. Alternatively, stick to the land — some of the best spots include Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, Anna Bay and Fishermans Bay. GET UP CLOSE TO AUSTRALIA'S CUTEST MARSUPIALS We bet you have a soft spot for koalas because, well, who doesn't? And if you want to see these cuddly creatures up close — and contribute to local preservation and conservation efforts — we suggest paying a visit to Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Set within eight hectares of bushland, the sanctuary includes a koala hospital, Sanctuary Story Walk (a 250-metre pathway telling the story of the koala and its habitat) and the Newcastle Airport Skywalk — a 225-metre elevated pathway that provides a treetop-style experience in the koalas' natural habitat. The sanctuary has accommodation on-site, too, including glamping tents and suites, if you'd like to spend a little longer in the koalas' bushland retreat. Overnight guests are treated to an early-morning tour during the morning feeding routine, so you can see the koalas at their most active. INDULGE IN A TREATMENT AT SPA LUCCA A really good winter escape should involve a long spa treatment, which you'll conveniently find at Spa Lucca. As soon as you step into the peaceful, ocean-inspired surroundings, you'll feel instantly at ease. The extensive menu covers aromatherapy massages, chakra balancing sessions, body polishes and plenty more, including several signature 'rituals'. There's also a blissful private bath, where you can soak your stresses away, as well as a sauna and steam room. To go all-out, book a package, which bundles a bunch of treatments into one ultra-relaxing session. [caption id="attachment_774065" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] GO ON A 4WD BEACH AND SAND DUNE ADVENTURE This 4WD trek takes you to all the best bits of Birubi Beach, including the famous Stockton Sand Dunes — the biggest dunes in the entire Southern Hemisphere. At the dunes, the guide will take you sandboarding with all the equipment provided. It's guaranteed to be the most fun you've had since you threw yourself down a grassy hillside as a kid. Then you'll glide across the coast to gawk at stunning sites and search for pipis wiggling about the shore. You can then take a few back to your accom to taste later. GO TOP SHELF IN A WHISKY BAR Your wintry escapades continue at Moby's Bar. Sink into a leather lounge, surrounded by mahogany and stone, and sip your way through whiskies from all over the world. There are even a few bottles from Port Ellen, on the island of Islay, which closed in 1983 and is now considered one of the most coveted drops on the planet. To sample some top whiskies, head there between 4–6pm for happy hour. Afterwards, head to The Wild Herring to feast on local seafood, like seared scallop croquettes and Moreton Bay bug pies — nothing says winter by the beach quite like a hot seafood pie. EAT OYSTERS STRAIGHT FROM THE FARM For some people, loving oysters is in their blood. Take the Holberts, a Port Stephens family who've been farming the tasty little molluscs for five generations. Their business is now one of the biggest oyster producers in New South Wales — even with plenty of fierce competition. The best part of all this is that you're welcome to drop by the farm, chat about what they've learned over the past 100 or so years and taste the results — freshly shucked. Plus, you can do all that while sitting on the waterfront and sipping a beer or wine. And, if you happen to have a bottle of something special in your suitcase, you're welcome to BYO (wine only). [caption id="attachment_716523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Spencer OEH[/caption] STROLL ALONG WRECK BEACH There are 26 beaches in Port Stephens, so it's never difficult to find a stretch of sand to call yours for a day. While many are well-known to locals and visitors, others are harder to find — and don't attract as many weekend crowds. One of these is Wreck Beach, a glorious cove tucked away behind Shoal Bay. To get there, and feed your intrepid spirit at the same time, take the Wreck Beach Walk (currently closed for repairs), a one-kilometre trek through coastal angophora forest. Once you're on the sand, keep a lookout for whales and dolphins; Port Stephens is home to a resident dolphin community, which numbers somewhere between 90 and 120. [caption id="attachment_716286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] High Tea at Galley Kitchen[/caption] HAVE HIGH TEA WITH UNLIMITED BUBBLY If there's one delicious way to while away a winter's afternoon, it has to be at a high tea with bottomless sparkling wine. And the only way you could make it even better is with tranquil, dreamy waterscapes to gaze at — which is exactly what you'll get in The Galley Kitchen. Set in an airy, light-filled space with expansive views over Port Stephens, the tea is available every day from 2.30–4.30pm. It'll set you back $89 but that includes unlimited sparkling wine, plus as much Ronnefeldt Tea as you can drink. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Tomaree Head Summit, Destination NSW
The silver-screen experience is always worth celebrating. A darkened haven dedicated to watching movie magic? Films projected big enough to span entire walls? Ideally no phones or other distractions? No matter how many times you've seen a flick in a picture palace, it's pure bliss. And, like everything, there's a day to celebrate it: National Cinema Day. Every single day is a great day to hit up your favourite theatre, but Sunday, August 31, 2025 comes with a bonus at Reading Cinemas sites across Australia: $5 tickets. That's all you'll pay for a standard or premium session all day for one day only. Fancy hitting up its Titan screens instead? That'll only set you back $10. And for its Gold Lounge, you'll pay $15. Reading operates nine cinemas across Victoria, including Burwood, Dandenong, Epping and Melton, if you're wondering where to go to see a cheap flick. And your viewing options? They vary per cinema, but include Weapons, Freakier Friday, Nobody 2, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Caught Stealing, the new The Naked Gun and 50th-anniversary sessions of Jaws, among other titles. Two caveats: the deals aren't available for event screenings, Q&As or other special events, and there's still a booking fee if you're getting your tickets online.
Melbourne will soon be home to one of the world's largest standalone beauty destinations: MECCA's flagship Bourke Street store — opening on Friday, August 8. This 4000-square-metre location spans three massive levels, with over 200 beauty brands and 80 services crammed inside. Plus, a series of in-store concepts make this a bold new chapter in experiential beauty retail. MECCA Bourke Street has taken up residency in the storied 299 Bourke Street — a 1930s heritage-listed building (most recently David Jones' menswear store) once home to the iconic Cole's Book Arcade. A fitting destination for MECCA's Bourke Street endeavour, leading architecture practice Studio McQualter was brought on board to restore the building's age-old features down to the smallest detail, from its arched windows and terrazzo flooring to the shopfront tiles. [caption id="attachment_836524" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MECCA's Sydney flagship, George Street.[/caption] "MECCA Bourke Street is the physical embodiment of our purpose — to embolden through beauty by helping people look, feel, and be their best. It reimagines what experiential retail can be, fusing creativity, culture, and collaboration to create something so much more than a store — it's the MECCA of all MECCAs," says MECCA Founder and Co-CEO, Jo Horgan. Over three times the size of MECCA George Street and more than 60 times the original MECCA Toorak Road store, this immense reopening lives up to its grand legacy. Designed as a full-day destination, guests can explore global beauty brands across multiple existing and new concepts. Explore MECCA Perfumeria's fragrance gallery guided by scent sommeliers, head to MECCA Aesthetica for advanced clinical skin treatments, or discover luxury 90-minute hair, makeup and nail treatments at MECCA Beauty Atelier. [caption id="attachment_836525" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MECCA's Sydney flagship, George Street.[/caption] The space goes beyond beauty and wellbeing, too. Opening in late 2025, there's a 200-square-metre auditorium designed to bring staff and customers together through a year-round program of educational and inspiring events. There's also Café MECCA — a suitable spot to catch your breath after roaming the shelves. Tucked into the first floor, expect a custom-made marble counter, leather banquette seating and a stunning artwork by contemporary artist Diena Georgetti. MECCA is also bringing purpose to its Bourke Street store, as the location will also act as a platform for MECCA M-POWER, championing gender equality through female-led design, purpose-driven events and over 20 artworks by women curated by Charlotte Day. You'll also be happy to know the store's innovative design features myriad health-first features, including air purification, mindful lighting and movement support. With more details revealed before the doors swing open in a month's time, this landmark MECCA store might just redefine retail beauty for good. [caption id="attachment_836523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MECCA's Sydney flagship, George Street.[/caption] MECCA Bourke Street is expected to open on Friday, August 8, at 299 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Head to the website for more information. Top image: Hugh Davies.
The Toff in Town is a two-part venue offering a bit of something for everyone — if you're not afraid of some stairs, that is. Located on the second floor of the CBD's Curtin House, The Toff is a well-known staple in the life of a midweek partier. Both sides of the venue — the live music bar Stageside and restaurant The Carriage — are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 5pm all the way through to 5am. Stageside has a range of events including live music, comedy, cabaret and DJs to keep you entertained. Stageside is an intimate space with plenty of room to break out and dance. It hosts regular gigs from album launches to comedy nights to jazz nights and birthday parties. Its cocktails are well priced and include all the classics, including French martinis, old fashioneds, whiskey sours and margaritas. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find beer, wine and spirits, and signature cocktails like the Twisted Sister with jalapeño infused tequila, Campari, fresh grapefruit and a lava salt rim. If you've danced the night away and are suddenly craving a feed, The Carriage has you covered with a Thai-inspired menu featuring small, medium and large plates. If you just need a snack then try the herb cured kingfish, the garlic and chives dumplings or the Whizz Fizz chicken sticks. Need something more substantial? Then look towards The Toff in Town's pad thai, the crispy pork belly curry or the ground chilli beef with green beans and Thai basil. If you're downright starving, then grab a banana leaf barra with red curry and coconut or a turmeric chicken Maryland with salted duck egg, dried shrimp and ginger salad. [caption id="attachment_681468" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Giulia Morlando[/caption]
UPDATE Friday, July 23: Lockdown 5.0 has got Henry Sugar moonlighting as a streetside yakitori bar. They're firing up the hibachi grill from 1–8pm Tuesday through Sunday to bring you a tasty lineup of skewers, along with freshly-shucked oysters, toasties on house-made bread and a rotation of sweet treats. Takeaway drinks include a selection of signature cocktails and cosy serves of mulled wine. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. Stories only happen to those who can tell them. So it's lucky that Kiwi chef Michael Baker (ex-Hell of the North and El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, the world's former best and currently second best restaurant) and ex-Cookie bartender Daniel Mason — joint owners of new neighbourhood wine and cocktail bar Henry Sugar — are master storytellers. Get Michael or Dan talking about the wines and you'll hear how part of a vineyard is in the shadow of a pine tree creating a microclimate and a particularly flavoursome wine; ask how long it took to master the oversized chocolate foam-filled sugar cherry that sits like a shiny Christmas ball on a bed of black forest mousse and you'll get a ripper explanation. They'll tell you that it took quite some time, which is quite indicative of the menu at Henry Sugar. There is an effortless grace to many of the dishes that hide the enormous amounts of creativity and work that goes into them. Baker manages to create dishes that are both rustic and sophisticated at the same time. This attention to detail starts with the aperitif; the house spritz is made with Rondò Aperitivo Bio (a rhubarb-based alternative to Aperol) and garnished with an olive-sized kalamata ice cream ball that's been dipped in white chocolate. This is way better experienced than described. Once you've got your mind around that, share a tofu tartare — which comes with a salty sesame puff ($9) — or wonder at the silkiness of the Puy lentil parfait glazed with Pedro Ximinez and served with house brioche ($11) before moving on to smoky grilled octopus with sobrasada and fennel ($16). Another must-order is the braised lamb with carrot and hazelnut — it is the definition of melt-in-your-mouth ($27) and pairs well with the dehydrated roast pumpkin, glorious in its crispy-skinned candied goodness. Michael is passionate about desserts and this is obvious when you see them and — more importantly — taste them. The coconut custard with coconut granita, mirin and citrus sorbet is impressive, but it's the aforementioned delicate black forest dessert ($14) that's most memorable. The minimal wine list complements the menu, as does the cocktail menu, which makes use of a range of interesting flavours, such as locally-made moonshine, caraway and pineapple. Lighter alcoholic options also focus prominently, with a range of vermouths, sherries, mistelle and sake. The team also make their own sodas using seasonal fruit, which are left to carbonate naturally via fermentation. But while there are many stories behind the food, don't go looking for a story behind the name of the restaurant. Keen readers will notice a reference to Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar — and the fact that the menu's logo is in braille seems to reference its character who can see with his eyes covered. But for Michael, it just "sounded like a cool name". Regardless, once you've dined at Henry Sugar, you'll have plenty of stories to tell.
Whether you're a Maha regular or have yet to experience the Melbourne icon, Shane Delia's Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant has a lunchtime special bound to prompt a visit. Just extended until October 31, a rotating lineup of $15 'Bowls of Goodness' hits the menu every week, perfect for an affordable lunch or high-end takeaway option. Returning after a successful debut in 2024, the special is bigger and better than ever before, now with nine more options to explore dine-in or takeaway. With each bowl crafted by a Maha kitchen team member, the series showcases each chef's gastronomic inspiration, from varied regional cuisine and travel experiences to personal memories. "The response to our $15 Bowls of Goodness lunchtime specials has been incredible yet again this year, so we're keeping them running until the end of October," says Delia. "We've brought back some of last year's most-loved dishes, the crowd-pleasers our guests just couldn't stop talking about! We're excited to continue to serve high-quality, flavour-packed lunches to dine-in or takeaway customers." In the weeks ahead, the Bond Street restaurant is serving up delights like biryani rice with tandoori chicken and cucumber raita; creamy navy beans with burnt tomatoes, winter vegetables and wagyu meatballs; and grilled Balinese chicken with fragrant rice and sambal matah. Stacked with creative combinations and seasonal flavours, organise a lunchtime trip to Maha this spring.
Australia and New Zealand haven't been treated to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, but we are getting the next best thing: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. The latest chance to worship the superstar on-screen was announced back in October and will hit cinemas worldwide in December. And, it will be arriving Down Under at the same time as the US: on Friday, December 1. What runs the movie world right now? Concert flicks, which are having a big-screen moment again. In the space of mere months, three huge examples of the genre are playing cinemas worldwide, much to the delight of folks who like getting their film and music fix in one go. First came Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October. In Australia, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, aka the best concert flick ever made, has returned to picture palaces since mid-November. Next, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will do the same — and it has dropped another trailer to celebrate. Beyoncé is no stranger to splashing her sets across a screen, after HOMECOMING: A Film By Beyoncé did exactly that on Netflix back in 2019. That movie covered the superstar singer's time on the Coachella stage, and came with a 40-track live album as well. This time, Bey is focusing on her 56-performance, 39-city world RENAISSANCE tour in support of the 2022 album of the same name. Now wrapped up after starting in Stockholm in Sweden in May and finishing in Kansas City, Missouri in the US on Sunday, October 1, the RENAISSANCE tour featured everything from 'Dangerously in Love 2', 'Cuff It', 'Formation' and 'Run the World (Girls)' to 'Crazy in Love', 'Love On Top', 'Drunk in Love' and 'America Has a Problem'. Given that audiences in Australia or New Zealand haven't experienced that setlist for themselves, with the tour skipping Down Under shows so far, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is the first chance for Bey fans in this part of the world to join in without heading overseas. "When I am performing, I am nothing but free," said Beyoncé in the concert film's initial trailer. "The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free," the musician continued, in a sneak peek that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses, crowd shots and, of course, spectacular concert footage. In the latest trailer, Beyoncé expands upon her daily challenge. "In this world that is very male-dominated, I've had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage," shares the singer. RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ charts the tour from its first show until its last, as well as the hard work and technical mastery that went into it on- and off-stage, as 2.7-million-plus fans have seen in person. Check out the latest trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ below: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will release in cinemas Down Under from Friday, December 1 — head to the film's website for tickets and further details. Images: Julian Dakdouk / Mason Poole.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for October — and yes, we're guessing you've already hit up The Trial of the Chicago 7, Rebecca and On the Rocks. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM Of all that twists and turns that 2020 has delivered, the arrival of a new Borat movie ranks among the most unexpected. Watching Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, however, it's obvious why the famed fictional Kazakh journalist is making a comeback at this very moment — that is, just before the US election. Once again, Borat travels to America. Once again, he traverses the country, interviewing everyday people and exposing the abhorrent views that have become engrained in US society. Where its 2006 predecessor had everyone laughing along with it, though, there's also an uneasy and even angry undercurrent to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm that's reflective of these especially polarised times. It's worth noting that Sacha Baron Cohen's last project, 2018 TV series Who Is America?, also used the comedian's usual interview technique to paint a picture of the US today, and the results were as astute as they were horrifying. There are plenty of jokes in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which bases its narrative around Borat's attempt to gift his 15-year-old daughter (instant scene-stealer Maria Bakalova) to Vice President Mike Pence and then ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to help get Kazakhstan's own leader into President Donald Trump's good graces, but this is the unflinching work of a star passionate about making a statement. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is available to stream now via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Tm63y-S4s THE GOOD LORD BIRD In The Good Lord Bird's opening moments, the new seven-part mini-series tells viewers what'll happen to 19th-century US abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke), its central figure. The audience sees Brown approach the gallows, with narration making plain that he's about to meet his end. Given that Brown was a real figure, the show is merely outlining his history in this regard. But even with the knowledge of his character's ultimate fate lodged firmly in viewers' minds from the outset, Hawke turns in a riveting performance every time he's on-screen. Brown not only opposed slavery, but was driven to use violence to liberate enslaved Black Americans — and the power of his conviction shines through in Hawke's blistering portrayal, as it does throughout the engaging series overall. The Good Lord Bird's voiceover and perspective comes from the fictional Henry 'Onion' Shackleford (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a boy that Brown saves but mistakes for a girl, and who also crosses paths with other historical personalities such as fellow reformer Frederick Douglass (Hamilton's Daveed Diggs) and Confederate general JEB Stuart (Wyatt Russell). As for this smart, irreverent, bold and vehement take on America's troubled past in general, it stems from the pages of James McBride's 2013 novel of the same name. The first three episodes of The Good Lord Bird are available to stream now via Stan, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYWT7CnFK0 SCARE ME Written and directed by Josh Ruben, and starring him also, Scare Me doesn't just like scary movies — it loves scary stories. Indeed, this pared-back horror film understands that sometimes all that's needed to keep an audience on the edge of their seats is a great tale told well. Its characters, both writers, are all about unfurling creepy narratives. Fred (Ruben) falls into the aspiring category, while Fanny (You're the Worst and The Boys' Aya Cash) has an acclaimed best-seller to her name. With each taking time out in the mountains to get some work done, these two strangers end up in Fred's cabin telling each other disturbing stories when the power goes out (and trying to one-up each other). For its first two-thirds, Scare Me makes the most of that basic concept. Fred and Fanny perform their tales, sound effects and ominous lighting kicks in — it's a stormy night, of course — and the mood is suitably perturbing. The film also demonstrates its self-awareness, namedropping other genre titles with frequency and sending in a pizza from the Overlook. When this Sundance-premiering feature decides to ponder real-life horrors as part of its layered stories, however, it proves especially potent. Scare Me is available to stream now via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10dsDHszrcY TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL Perhaps the most frightening film of 2020, Totally Under Control isn't a horror movie filled with traditional bumps and jumps. For anyone who has been keeping a close eye on the constantly unnerving news served up by this hectic year, it also doesn't tell viewers anything that isn't already known. But this US-focused documentary unsettles from start to finish, all by exploring the American response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons with other countries — including South Korea, which initially had a similar caseload back at the beginning of the year — are particularly effective. To-camera interviews by officials involved in the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus, and from one volunteer given far too much responsibility for solving crucial PPE shortages, are just as telling. This isn't the first doco about COVID-19 and it won't be the last; however, as co-directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief) with Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, it's absolutely essential viewing. Totally Under Control is available to stream now via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWoiNlLqLR8 THE UNDOING If it was made less than a decade ago instead of now, The Undoing likely would've followed Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train to cinemas. This page-to-screen adaptation certainly has the cast for it — Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, A Quiet Place's Noah Jupe and Edgar Ramirez — as well as a knotty mystery premise and a tension-dripping tone. But hot on the heels of Big Little Lies, The Undoing is actually HBO's latest big-name mini-series. Kidman returns, obviously, as does well-known TV writer David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, The Practice). The former plays a successful therapist, Grace Fraser, whose seemingly happy home life and marriage to Grant's paediatric oncologist Jonathan starts to collapse when someone linked to her son's ultra-wealthy private school turns up dead. Based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel You Should Have Known and directed by The Night Manager's Susanne Bier, this six-part series is the epitome of #richpeopleproblems — but whether exploring heated moments in lush surroundings, or noting the type of emotions and behaviours status and standing can both encourage and hide, it's firmly aware of that fact. Thanks to a twist at the end of each episode, it's also very addictive, even when it's predictable. The first episode of The Undoing is available to stream now via Binge, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfTmT6C5DnM DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD Mortality is no one's favourite subject. Confronting the certainty of our own demise is so difficult, we all just generally carry on as though it won't happen. And the reality that everyone we know and love will die, including our parents, is just as tough to deal with. Facing not only the fact that her father is advancing in age, but that he's suffering dementia — meaning that she'll lose him mentally before he passes away physically — cinematographer and documentarian Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson) conjured up a playful and poignant project. In Dick Johnson Is Dead, she stages her dad's death over and over. He's very much alive and he takes part, with the father-daughter duo bonding during what time they have left together in the process. While it might sound morbid, this moving movie is anything but. As well as the scenes that give the film its title, it also provides an insightful chronicle of the Johnsons' lives. Tender, thoughtful, personal and intimate, and driven by both Dick and Kirsten's presence, the result is perhaps the most affecting feature of the year — and a very worth winner of the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-Fiction Storytelling at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Dick Johnson Is Dead is available to stream now via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WHZM-gDONo FEELS GOOD MAN If you've somehow managed to avoid Pepe the Frog over the past decade, then you clearly haven't spent enough time on the internet during that period. The green character became an online meme back in the 2000s, popping up on message boards and earning users' devotion. It was then was co-opted by the alt-right movement, not only becoming its symbol but getting quite a workout in the lead up to the 2016 US Presidential election. That's not how Pepe started out, however, as Arthur Jones' documentary Feels Good Man shows. Originally, Pepe was created by artist Matt Furie and featured in his Boys Club comics — and the kindly illustrator definitely didn't intend for his cute critter to become associated with prejudice, hate and offensive viewpoints. In addition to charting the history of Pepe, Feels Good Man works through Furie's ongoing fight to reclaim his creation. As you might expect given the above description, this is the type of tale that can only be true, and is also best understood by watching it unfurl. Feels Good Man does something else, though, documenting how online content can take on a life far beyond that initially envisaged, as well as offering a pivotal snapshot of how politicised every facet of American life seems to have become. Feels Good Man is available to stream now via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ISTHi45_s FARGO Last month, SBS added the first three seasons of Fargo to its streaming platform, in preparation for the long-awaited fourth season's arrival. Based on the Oscar-winning Coen brothers' film of the same name, this is an anthology series, so watching previous seasons before starting the new one isn't essential — but, as the latest batch of episodes demonstrates, soaking in all things Fargo is highly recommended. Dropping fresh instalments weekly, Fargo season four is easy to devour. Set in 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri, it steps into its favourite territory: a turf war. While the first episode explains that different groups have been fighting to control the city's underworld for decades, this time it's Loy Cannon (Chris Rock) and his fellow Black Americans' turn to challenge the Italian crime syndicate led by Josto Fadda (Jason Schwartzman). As always, the story from there proves both twisty and blackly comedic, and appears on-track to deliver yet another cautionary tale about the perils of underhanded and illicit activities. There's gravitas to Rock's portrayal of a man trying to carve out his place, and he's joined by a similarly top-notch cast including Jessie Buckley (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) as a nurse with a secret and Ben Whishaw (No Time to Die) as one of Fadda's put-upon offsiders. The first five episodes of Fargo's fourth season are available to stream now via SBS On Demand, with new episodes added weekly. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW7Twd85m2g THE MANDALORIAN Travelling to a galaxy far, far away sounds rather nice at this point in 2020. If you're a Star Wars fan, that's actually quite easy, too. While this year won't deliver a new movie in the franchise for the first time since 2014, the second season of TV spinoff The Mandalorian is heading to Disney+ from Friday, October 30. For those that missed it or need a refresher — the Star Wars universe certainly does sprawl far and wide, both within its tales and in its many different movies, shows, books and games — the Emmy-nominated show follows the titular bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal). In the series' first season, which was set five years after Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi and aired last year, that meant tracking his latest gigs. And, it also involved charting his encounter with a fuzzy little creature officially known as The Child, but affectionately named Baby Yoda by everyone watching. Also on offer the first time around: Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito playing villain Moff Gideon, aka the ex-Galactic Empire security officer determined to capture The Child; everyone from Carl Weathers and Taika Waititi to Werner Herzog playing ex-magistrates, droids and enigmatic strangers; and plenty of planet-hopping. Yes, it was firmly a Star Wars TV series, and yes, it plans to continue in the same manner. The Mandalorian's second season starts streaming via Disney+ from Friday, October 30, CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_Sq__g01E THE HITCHCOCK COLLECTION Fans of thrillers, and of the filmmaker who became a legend by directing them, have two choices this month. Eighty years after Alfred Hitchcock first brought the story to the screen, Netflix has produced a lavish-looking new adaptation of Rebecca — a movie that intoxicates visually, but doesn't ever quite match the heights reached by the Master of Suspense's Oscar-winning version all those decades ago. But for those who'd rather luxuriate in all things Hitch, Stan is streaming a collection of his greatest hits. It doesn't include Rebecca, but when you're watching classics such as Psycho, The Birds and Rear Window — and Rope and Saboteur, too — you aren't likely to mind. All five will always stand the test of time, but Psycho's tale of a troubled man obsessed with his mother and the unfortunate woman who crosses his path has always been innately unnerving. When you're not revelling in its twists, and its famed screech-heavy shower scene, Rear Window's voyeurism-fuelled storyline (and the fact that its protagonist, played by a commanding James Stewart, is stuck at home) feels particularly relevant this year. Stan's Hitchcock collection is available to stream now. Top images: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Writing a prescient tale is the science-fiction holy grail, and a feat that Philip K Dick firmly achieved. Making a movie that becomes the prevailing vision of what the future might look like in the entire world's minds? That's a stunning filmmaking feat, and one that Ridley Scott notched up as well. The reason for both? On the page, 1968's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. In cinemas, 1982's Blade Runner. And if you need reminding of how stunning a story that the iconic sci-fi author penned, or how spectacular a film that the legendary director then turned it into, look no further than Blade Runner's return to the big screen — with a live score. When Dick pondered the difference between humans and artificial intelligence more than half a century back, he peered forward with revelatory foresight. When Scott followed fresh from Alien, he did the same. Now, in both 2023 and 2024, with the clash between the organic and the digital a daily part of our lives in this ChatGPT-heavy reality, of course it's time for Blade Runner to flicker again. Film lovers, get ready for another dream movie-and-music pairing. Get ready for synths, too. Vangelis' stunning score will echo as Scott's feature screens in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for Blade Runner Live — an event that premiered in London in 2019, made its way around the UK, then hit Japan earlier in 2023. If this sounds familiar, that's because Melbourne's dates were announced earlier this year; however, now Sydney and Brisbane are joining in. The Victorian capital will host four sessions at Hamer Hall, two each on Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2o23. Sydney currently has one date at the Aware Super Theatre on Saturday, February 3, 2024 — and Brisbane will welcome the sci-fi magic at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Each session will screen the Final Cut version of the movie. Wondering how it differs from the OG release, and also the House of Gucci, The Last Duel and Napoleon filmmaker's Director's Cut? First unveiled in 2007 for the feature's 25th anniversary, it's the only version that Scott truly had full artistic control over. Blade Runner's narrative, if you're new to the franchise — which also includes exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, with a new Blade Runner TV series also on the way — focuses on the one and only Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as cop Rick Deckard. His task: finding replicants, aka androids, which turns into quite the existential journey. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in sci-fi that's popped up over the four decades since Blade Runner first arrived that hasn't owed Scott's film a massive debt — and any synthesiser-fuelled score that hasn't done the same with Vangelis. And yes, add Blade Runner to the list of favourites getting another silver-screen run that celebrates their tunes heartily, alongside everything from Star Wars: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King to Star Wars and Harry Potter, plus The Princess Bride, Home Alone and Toy Story. Check out the trailer for Blade Runner below: BLADE RUNNER LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2023 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Saturday, February 3, 2024 — Aware Super Theatre, ICC, Sydney Saturday, February 10, 2024 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Blade Runner Live will play Melbourne in November 2023, then Sydney and Brisbane in February 2024. Head to the event website for further details and tickets — with Brisbane pre-sales from Tuesday, October 24 and general sales from Friday, October 27.
As the mercury rises, Australian cities come to life. Rooftop bars transform under the summer sun, the streets feel alive, and you start feeling that itch to explore. Call it a sign, but Vibe Hotels have decided to bring their Black Friday sale forward to match that exact feeling. From now until Tuesday, December 2 you can score 20 percent off at each of their hotels. Plus, sign up to the e-Club to receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay. From waterside gems to sun-drenched rooftop bars, these cities make for the perfect summer breaks. Adelaide [caption id="attachment_1043290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Adelaide[/caption] Adelaide is often overlooked as a summer getaway thanks to its reputation as a city of churches. But, in reality, it's a foodie mecca, fringed with endless beaches. Base yourself at Vibe Hotel Adelaide, naturally. Start your day with a leafy walk to breakfast at sacred local spot Exchange Coffee as you plan which of Adelaide's beaches you'll spend the day lazing at: Glenelg, Henley, or slightly further out Port Noarlunga. Take a day trip to Kangaroo Island for more ridiculous beaches and wild life spotting. Or, you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to wineries: Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, and the Clare Valley are all easy day trips. After a long day exploring, head back to your hotel for dinner at Storehouse Flinders East. Hobart Thanks to Dark Mofo, Hobart has earned a reputation as a winter city. But ask any local and they'll tell you it's a city made for summer. Vibe Hotel Hobart has a location perfect for exploring everything the city has to offer with onsite restaurant Belvedere showcasing the Apple Isle's bountiful produce. For more local-approved bites, head to hole in the wall wine bar Sonny or, for a sun-dappled beer garden, try Preachers in historic Battery Point. Hobart is the best place to make the most of Tasmania's wilderness with countless day trips at your fingertips. Spot wombats and dip in crystal clear waters at Maria Island, stand at the edge of the world in the Tasman National Park, or take a foodie tour of Bruny Island. If the Tasmanian summer isn't quite summering, thaw out in the heated swimming pool at your hotel. Subiaco [caption id="attachment_1041855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rottnest Island, Fabian Kühne[/caption] Subiaco—known affectionately as Subi to locals—is an ultra-sleek pocket of inner city Perth. You'll find excellent coffee, fine dining, and of course, Vibe Hotel Subiaco right in the thick of it. And, one of the city's favourite restaurants, Storehouse Subiaco is perched right on the roof with unparalleled views of the city skyline. Rokeby Road cuts through the heart of Subi and is lined with chic boutiques, galleries and some of Perth's best dining. Yiamas, Shui, Lulu La Delizia are some of the suburb's best eats. If you're taking a weekend break, stop by the Subiaco Station Markets to sample the local produce. You'll also find the Regal Theatre, one of the last live theatres in Perth within walking distance from your hotel. If you're craving beaches, you're conveniently staying on the train line to Fremantle. Fremantle is not only home to some of Perth's best beaches, but is also the departure point to access Rottnest Island. Melbourne [caption id="attachment_1043679" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Melbourne[/caption] Finding a reason to spend a weekend in Melbourne is one of life's easier tasks. When you add Vibe Hotel's 20 percent off Black Friday discount, its almost like you have to go. Fleet Rooftop sits 68 metres high above the Vibe Hotel Melbourne. Start your trip here with cocktails, artfully served small plates and a stellar view of the Melbourne skyline. You'll be staying right in the centre of the city so you can spend your trip weaving through laneways and arcades as you discover the cafes, bars and vintage boutiques. Catch a show at the nearby historic East End Theatre District. Or, back at your hotel, unwind in the pool before heading back to the rooftop for sunset. Vibe Melbourne Docklands also offers amazing views of the city and Yarra River with leisure facilities including a 28-metre heated rooftop pool (one of Melbourne's largest), a steam room and well-equipped gym. On the edge of the free city circle tram, you'll be in the heart of the city within 15 minutes while enjoying the more laidback atmosphere of the Docklands waterfront precinct. Darling Harbour [caption id="attachment_1043678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Darling Harbour[/caption] Sometimes you just need a getaway to take a moment to enjoy Sydney's summer from a rooftop pool. Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour is the perfect place to do just that. Spend a weekend soaking up the sun from a poolside cabana with views out across the city. Then, as the sun begins to set, head over to Above 319, the hotel's rooftop bar for cocktails before enjoying a night out in Sydney. Try Pakistani food at Lal Qila, treat yourself to Japanese fine dining at nearby Nobu's or nab a reservation at Sydney institution, Bennelong. Make the most of summer and while away a weekend taking advantage of Sydney's beaches before you head back home to reality. Catch a ferry from Darling Harbour to locally loved beaches like Milk Beach or Camp Cove. Darwin Ask what people love about Darwin and two things come to mind. First, it's the city's technicolour sunsets (best viewed from the Darwin Sailing Club). Second, it's the quality of the laksa available thanks to Darwin's proximity to South East Asia. You'll find some of the best at Mary's Laksa at the weekly Parap Village Markets alongside satay and fresh tropical fruits. Head inland and visit Litchfield National Park for wild swimming in shaded outback lagoons. Then, to escape the tropical heat, duck into the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory for one of the country's best displays of Indigenous art. Vibe Hotel Darwin drops you in the heart of it all with its prime position by the waterfront precinct and Darwin Lagoon. Canberra Canberra is criminally underrated as a weekend getaway, and Vibe Hotel Canberra makes for the perfect base to see it all. The sprawling grounds of Parliament House sit at its heart. Just outside the grassy knolls of our political centre, you'll find the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia. Don't miss the Sculpture Garden's 26 outdoor pieces, including Within Without (2010) by James Turrell. After exploring, dive into Canberra's food scene. For cocktails, a kitschy styled space and small plates stop by Such and Such. For lunch, Sanducci does a daily rotation of—not to be dramatic—life changing sandwiches. It's worth slipping beyond the city limits to visit Canberra's vineyards, like Mount Majura, and Australia's tallest peak, Mt Kosciusko. The trails are unburdened by snow in the summer making it a perfect time to visit. Book your summer getaway now with 20 percent off stays at the Vibe Hotels website. Plus sign up to their eClub and receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay.
Netflix's hefty stable of original programming spans every genre imaginable, from nostalgic sci-fi thrillers such as Stranger Things and smart existential comedies like Russian Doll to crime procedurals such as Mindhunter and period dramas like The Crown. But as fans of Making a Murderer, Tiger King and Unbelievable all know, the streaming platform has also been leaning rather heavily upon true tales in recent years — both via docuseries and dramatised versions. Add Unorthodox to the latter pile, with the new four-part miniseries based on Deborah Feldman's best-selling 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. As the book's title makes plain, the memoir and the TV adaptation each explore her decision to leave her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York, flee her arranged marriage and everyone she's ever known, and escape to Berlin to start a brand new life. Names and details have been changed, as tends to be the case with dramas based on real-life stories; however Unorthodox still follows the same overall path. In a tense but instantly commanding opening to the show's first episode, 19-year-old Esther 'Esty' Shapiro (Shira Haas) slips out of the apartment she shares with her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav), picks up a passport from her piano teacher and nervously heads to the airport. Once she arrives in Berlin, she's just as anxious and uncertain — whether she's thinking about contacting her estranged mother (Alex Reid), who lives in the German capital; trying to work out where she'll sleep, given that she knows no one and brought nothing with her; or befriending a group of music students, cherishing making new connections and hoping she can join them at city's conservatory. Netflix's first original series primarily in Yiddish, Unorthodox then jumps between multiple narrative strands — chronicling Esty's sudden awakening into a secular existence far removed from her previous life; charting Yanky's desperate efforts to track her down under orders of their rabbi, with his cousin Moische (Jeff Wilbusch) on hand to help; and flashing back to Esty's childhood, her time with her beloved grandmother (Dina Doron), the lead up to her marriage and the wedding itself. Directed by German actress-turned-filmmaker Maria Schrader (Deutschland 83 and Deutschland 86), the end result proves a unique and intriguing coming-of-age tale, a thoughtful thriller, and an eye-opening but always careful and respectful look at a culture that's rarely depicted on-screen in such depth. Israeli actress Haas (The Zookeeper's Wife, Foxtrot, Mary Magdalene) turns in a nuanced, weighty and gripping performance as Esty, too — which is absolutely pivotal in making Unorthodox so compelling to watch. And, for viewers stuck at home and eager for a window into the wider world, the series makes great use of its Berlin setting — viewing the busy city with the same wide-eyed wonder as its protagonist. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVhRId0BTw Unorthodox is currently streaming on Netflix. Images: Anika Molnar/Netflix.
In the latest wave of fast food chains trying to pretend they're not really fast food chains, Domino's has opened a new 'concept store' in Sydney. It seems the global pizza place must have caught a bad case of FOMO from old-time rival Pizza Hut, who opened its own Waterloo concept store back in November. Domino's has been hitting the niche food offering trend hard lately, adding vegan cheese to its menu back in January and opening a similar outlet in Brisbane last year. But whatever the reason, it's happening — and we really don't have a definitive answer as to why. As to be expected, the shop looks absolutely nothing like the regular blue-and-red hole-in-the-wall Domino's store you're used to seeing around. The 30-seat dine-in restaurant attempts to emulate a 1930s Italian pizzeria with retro forest green tiling, pendant lighting and espresso machine, along with a timber counter and an unfinished exposed ceiling. It even has a bookshelf full of succulents. An open kitchen and spot for alfresco dining round out this desperate attempt to be cool. The menu is getting its own upgrade, with "hand-stretched" and "hand tossed" pizza bases replacing the usual. New 'premium' pizza toppings include bocconcini, rocket and prosciutto, duck, blue cheese and chorizo. But we're still left with one question: why? It all sounds — and, we're sure, tastes — just fine, but Domino's is loved because it's cheap and has an easy online ordering system, and it seems odd that it would try to compete with other pizzerias in the area. Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Redfern are already home to so many restaurants slinging legit pizzas, like Maybe Frank, Dimitris, La Coppola and Bar Reggio. Not to mention the city as a whole is chockas with pizza joints we'd highly recommend going to. For us, chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut serve their own purpose — that is, to be cheap, quick and great on a drunk/hungover stomach. But we might see more of these concept stores in the future as they attempt to weasel into Australia's homegrown food scene. The Domino's Surry Hills concept store is now open at 17 Randle Street, Surry Hills. It's open seven days from 11am until late. For more info, visit dominos.com.au. Image: Domino's Brisbane.
Some dishes are as straightforward as they sound, and omurice — aka omelette rice — is one of them. It's an omelette made with fried rice, then typically topped with sauce. Yes, it's an easy concept to get around; however, not all versions of this western-influenced Japanese eggs-plus-rice staple are made equal. Indeed, trying Kichi Kichi Omurice's in Kyoto might be on your travel bucket list. Chef Motokichi Yukimura's viral-famous take on the dish has made him an internet star — the term "Japan's most-famous omurice chef" has been used — and seen his eatery become a tourist destination. As of January 2024, it's no longer doing bookings in advance, in fact. Now, diners are only able to make reservations on the same day they're eating, and need a password that's placed on the restaurant's door each morning to lock in their seating. But if you'd like the Kichi Kichi Omurice experience without the airfares, that's about to become a reality in Melbourne for two nights only. Yukimura is heading Down Under in February and March 2024, hitting up Harajuku Gyoza in Sydney and Brisbane, and now also Ishizuka in Melbourne. On each stop, he'll show why the dish he's been making for over 45 years is such a hit. And in Melbourne only on Thursday, March 7–Friday, March 8, as well as cooking his specialty for everyone who attends — and putting on a show, complete with his Kichi Kichi Omurice song and dance — he'll be teaming up with Ishizuka Head Chef Shin Kato to highlight Japanese flavours using local and seasonal ingredients. This is the pair's second collaboration, after doing the same in 2023. Exactly what else will be on the menu other than omurice hasn't been announced, but Ishizuka has been known for heroing kaiseki cuisine — aka multi-course haute cuisine — since opening in 2018. Sittings cost $365 per person, with dining at 11am, 1.15pm, 5.30pm and 7.45pm available on both days. That price doesn't include either boozy or non-alcoholic sips, which you can add on top. Yukimura's events alone are always popular — when it announced his Sydney and Brisbane visits, Harajuku Gyoza advised that chef's last international event notched up 50,000 booking enquiries — so expect tickets to get snapped up quickly. [caption id="attachment_943119" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eve Wilson[/caption] Motokichi Yukimura will be at Ishizuka, b01/139 Bourke St, Melbourne, on Thursday, March 7–Friday, March 8, 2024. Head to the eatery's website for further details and bookings.
We're going back ... back to see Back to the Future, this time as a musical on the Sydney Lyric Theatre's stage. First floated 20 years ago by the big-screen trilogy's screenwriter Bob Gale, then finally premiering in 2020, the song-filled take on Marty McFly and Doc Brown's exploits has proven an award-winning success in London's West End and on Broadway. In 2025, the DeLorean is finally heading to Australia. The power of Back to the Future isn't really a curious thing. As viewers have known since 1985, the Michael J Fox (The Good Fight)-starring sci-fi/comedy is timeless delight. But as well as making film lovers weep with joy for almost four decades, the iconic movie has been making other folks sing — the casts of the Olivier Award-winning Back to the Future: The Musical, that is. Aussie audiences will get to see the results from September 2025 in the show's Down Under premiere season. Exclaiming "great Scott!" is obviously the only fitting response to this development, and to the production in general — and there's clearly plenty to get excited about. Since initially racing towards clocktowers onstage in the UK since early 2020 (around a pandemic hiatus or two, of course), Back to the Future: The Musical has picked up the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and then was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2024. And yes, the show does indeed follow the Marty McFly and Doc Brown-led story we all know and adore, but with songs, including renditions of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B Goode' and Huey Lewis and the News' 'The Power of Love' and 'Back in Time', naturally. Australian fans will now want to speed at 88 miles per hour towards the Harbour City, given that it is the only Aussie city where a season of Back to the Future: The Musical has been announced so far. If you won't be making a visit to the New South Wales capital by plane or DeLorean, start crossing your fingers that the production heads to other Aussie cities — or pop on your own white lab coat, start tinkering around with electronics and whip up your own time machine to try to make it happen. There's no exact date for the show's Down Under opening yet, other than sometime in September 2025, but you can now join the ticket waitlist to find out as soon as more details are announced. Also featuring music and lyrics by OG Back to the Future composer Alan Silvestri and acclaimed songwriter Glen Ballard (Jagged Little Pill the Musical), plus a book by Gale — who co-penned all three Back to the Future film scripts with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Here) — Back to the Future: The Musical was nominated for seven Olivier Awards. It only won the big one, but emerged victorious over heavy-hitters and fellow screen-to-stage shows Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Frozen. "I am thrilled to be bringing Back to the Future: The Musical to Australia, premiering at the Sydney Lyric in September 2025. Australian audiences are going to be blown away to see how this iconic story has been recreated for the stage," said Australian producer John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia. "To paraphrase Marty McFly, you guys are ready for this, and your kids are gonna love it (too)! If Bob Zemeckis and I time-travelled back to 1980 and told our younger selves that the script they were struggling to write would become a West End and Broadway musical now making its way to Sydney, Australia 45 years later, they'd kick us out of their office and call us crazy," added Gale. "Well, sometimes, crazy ideas give birth to great entertainment, and now Bob and I are eager to share our musical vision with Sydney audiences. This musical production has exceeded our original expectations on every level. Regardless of whether you've seen the original film, Back to the Future: The Musical, with its incredible stagecraft, will delight and enthrall you, your kids, your parents, and everyone you know!" Check out the trailer for Back to the Future: The Musical below: Back to the Future: The Musical is playing Sydney Lyric Theatre, 55 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, Sydney from September 2025. Head to the show's Australian website to join the ticket waitlist and keep an eye out for more details. Images: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman, and Sean Ebsworth Barnes.
Award-winning beer brand Urban Alley now has a sibling for its OG Docklands brewery, opening this $5 million brewpub in Wantirna's Knox Westfield Ozone precinct in May 2022. Spread over 1000 square metres and multiple levels, Urban Alley Brewery Knox not only features an array of indoor and outdoor spaces, but hosts a dedicated gin distillery from renowned Tassie producer Dasher + Fisher. It's a destination for beer-sipping, gin-appreciation, pub-style dining and live entertainment, with capacity for a hefty 750 people. The bar showcases Urban Alley's award-winning range, pouring core creations like the Urban Lager ($7/13) and Slapshot Aussie-style pale ale ($7/13) alongside a rotation of limited releases. There's even a beer crafted in honour of the new digs, dubbed the Ozone Pacific Ale ($7/13). Meanwhile, gin aficionados can get acquainted with a range of internationally-awarded Dasher + Fisher creations, also made on site. And if you've got a thing for both drops, try the Plummy Brew ($22) — a special-release cocktail crafted on both beer and the distillery's Ocean Gin. To match, the kitchen serves a contemporary take on classic pub fare — like the Korean fried chicken burger with 'sinner' sauce ($26), slow-cooked lamb shanks ($35), and cous cous-crusted salmon with a lemon and pea risotto ($32). Fish and chips are done in an Urban Lager batter ($27), and there's a solid lineup of pizzas and snacks, too. You'll also find a diverse program of happenings, ranging from Tuesday night trivia, to Saturday DJ sets and acoustic sessions every Sunday afternoon.
Winter is when Aotearoa really turns it on. There's snow on the mountains, clear skies over Lake Tekapo and hot pools to warm you up on freezing days. Whether you're hitting the slopes, exploring the wine regions, or just settling in somewhere cosy, New Zealand is all about slowing down, clearing your head and enjoying every moment. To help you plan the perfect escape, we've rounded up eight of the best winter stays across the North and South Island – and every one of them is ten percent off when you book via our dedicated travel platform, Concrete Playground Trips using your Visa card. From boutique gems to lakeside luxury, these are the hotels worth checking into this season.
You can now recreate a little of that Fancy Hank's magic at home, as the flavour masters behind Bourke Street's beloved barbecue joint unveil their very own line of house-made, small-batch sauces. Launching just in time for the season of backyard barbies and park picnics, the new range features five concoctions, including two barbecue sauces and three styles of hot sauce, packaged in nifty 200mL or 375mL bottles and made using all-Aussie ingredients. And they're already award-winners, having each nabbed a medal at this year's Australian Food Awards. You'll have encountered some of these American-style creations before — the Original BBQ is Fancy Hanks' signature sauce, best teamed with a pile of smoky pulled pork, while the Coffee & Molasses number is the go-to accompaniment for the restaurant's famed beef brisket. The trio of hot sauces dial up the flavour even more, with the gutsiest variety, Habanero & Carrot, best used sparingly in a chicken marinade or a stew. The mild and fruity Cayenne & Watermelon sauce is the entry-level option, while the Jalapeño & Peach kicks a little bit harder, boasting a sweet, tangy finish. You can pick up a bottle — or hey, why not get fancy with the whole collection? — from Fancy Hank's CBD restaurant, the online shop, Spring Street Grocer, Meatsmith (in Fitzroy and St Kilda), and three of the city's McCoppins Food Stores.
When someone spots a giant spider, they take notice, even when it's simply a tall metal piece of art. Seeing one of Louise Bourgeois' towering arachnids is indeed a stunning experience; however, so is watching people clock her lofty works. Her Maman sculptures demand attention. They're the type of public art that audiences just want to sit around, soak in and commune with. They're photo favourites, too, of course — and one has just arrived in Australia. This is the first time that Maman has displayed Down Under, with the world-famous piece arriving in Sydney as part of Sydney International Art Series. Bourgeois is one of three hero talents scoring a blockbuster exhibition during event, alongside Wassily Kandinsky and Tacita Dean. [caption id="attachment_927829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] The nine-metre-high, ten-metre-wide sculpture that Bourgeois is best known for is currently on display on the forecourt of the Art Gallery of NSW, towering over the historic South Building. The sculpture hails back to 1999, and boasts its name because it's a tribute to Bourgeois' mother. The artist described her mum as "deliberate, clever, patient, soothing... and [as] useful as a spider". If you're keen to see Maman on home soil, Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day? is running at the gallery from Saturday, November 25, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024, boasting 120 different works — the most comprehensive exhibition of Bourgeois's work ever to grace a gallery in the Asia Pacific. [caption id="attachment_927824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation of Louise Bourgeois 'Maman' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] "Bold artists inspire art museums towards new approaches," said Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand. "I am proud that Bourgeois' art has inspired an exhibition that is itself exploratory and fully exploits the dramatic potential of our expanded art museum to reveal the ceaseless exploration of life's extremes that characterised her work." "This ambitious exhibition is like none other presented at the Art Gallery, and we are very proud to bring this unique experience to Sydney this summer." The Bourgeois exhibition is on display 13 years after the Paris-born artist passed away in New York in 2010, and after she stamped her imprint upon the art of the 20th century. Visitors will see her Arch of Hysteria work down in the gallery's underground Tank, textile works of the 1990s and 2000s, and plenty in-between. [caption id="attachment_927827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] Other highlights include The Destruction of the Father, which is among the pieces that've never been displayed in Australia before; Clouds and Caverns, which is rarely seen in general; and the mirrored piece Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day?, which shares the exhibition's moniker. Alongside the display of art, there will be a free film series curated by the AGNSW's Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd. A heap of Louise Bourgeois' favourite flicks will be screened at the gallery's cinema, including 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1971's Harold and Maude, David Lynch's Eraserhead, John Waters' Pink Flamingos and The Wizard of Oz. [caption id="attachment_927832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, courtesy of Roadshow PPL[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927826" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day? runs from Saturday, November 25, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney. Head to the gallery's website for more information and to purchase tickets. Top image: installation of Louise Bourgeois 'Maman' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins.
Quite simply the hippest spot south of St Kilda, Olie & Ari in Brighton's Were Street Village is the discerning, contemporarily designed hot spot Bayside was desperately lacking. Serving good coffee and an all-day breakfast, the menu also offers a decent lunch selection including the wagyu beef burger with salad and red wine onions in a brioche bun ($17.50) and a tasty selection of toasted pides and wraps. The smoked ocean trout toasted pide, with dill, mayo, capers and rocket ($15.50) is absolutely delicious — a perfect flavourful choice that won't leave you feeling too bloated or over sauced. For breakfast at any time of the day, however, don't look past the organic quinoa breakfast salad with fresh orange segments, toasted walnuts, almonds, sultanas and honeyed yoghurt ($14). By Brighton's standards, the interior is positively inspired. Guttered out and stripped back, the former shop front has been transformed into a high-ceilinged, light filled space. Even the rear storage areas have been opened up with rendered concrete, mouse hole-style arches leading into the back, providing a more intimate, rustic sitting. The expansive, central space, by comparison, is defined by the hanging wire light globes, while iron and light wood fixtures decorate the high walls and ceiling. Continuing the theme, large glass vases perch on the communal dining table, where light bulbs replace pebbles to support the towing twigs inside. The staff are friendly, sporting their fetching denim aprons. As one diner expressly commented at our visit: "denim is such a nice break from all the black aprons around Brighton cafes". Perhaps it's the quirky detail that, in this suburb at least, sets Olie & Ari comfortably above their local competition. Not to mention, Olie & Ari is fully licensed everyday from midday, making those lunches stretch out long into the afternoon. The Were Street Village is a quiet pocket of suburban Brighton, and an ideal place to relax over lunch with this discreet little gem.
Sometimes, you just want a sweet treat and a few film facts. For Australian fans of lollies and movies, Fantales have always come through. Sure, the chocolate-covered caramels are great for a sugar fix, but they've become an iconic Australian favourite thanks to their yellow wrappers printed with stories about the big screen's stars. And yes, they're the perfect snack when you're hitting the cinema. Well, they were. Fantales have been around for almost a century, debuting in the 1930s, but the Aussie chocolate is going the way of silent the age. Come mid-July, they'll cease production, with Nestle announcing that it is closing the curtain on the lollies. If you were a pre-internet kid, you'll remember gleaning film tidbits about famous faces thanks to the sweets back in the day when every piece of information about every celebrity wasn't available online instantly. But apparently that hasn't been enough to keep folks buying Fantales. Indeed, Nestle's decision has been made due to declining sales, plus the upgrades that'd be needed to the machinery that makes them "We know our decision to stop making Fantales will be sad news for many people," said Nestlé Oceania Confectionery General Manager Andrew Lawrey. "Many of us grew up with Fantales and have fond memories of them. Despite the sense of nostalgia Fantales evoke, unfortunately people simply aren't buying them as often as they used to," he continued. "In addition, our Fantales equipment needs significant investment. It's become increasingly difficult to get the parts we need to maintain it and, with declining sales, replacing it isn't viable." Before you start fearing for that other Aussie childhood staple — that'd be Minties — Nestle has confirmed that they're sticking around, as are other party bag go-tos like Snakes Alive and Allen's Party Mix. Fantales will cease production in mid-July 2023. You'll find them on supermarket shelves for now while stocks last.
Saint Dreux, a Japanese-inspired coffee and katsu sando bar in Melbourne's CBD, exudes Japanese minimalism. With a concise menu of five sandwiches, castella cakes, pastries and Tokyo's Onibus coffee served in a modern monochromatic fit-out, it's the kind of place that could even spark joy for Marie Kondo. The sandos are cut with laser precision, as are the varying castella (Japanese sponge cakes), packaging is simple and even the ceramics are polished to perfection. Inspired by the vending machines and convenience stores of Japan, the Saint Dreux team, who is also behind Slater Street Bench and 580 Bench, wanted to make the humble katsu sandwich a hero here in Melbourne. "You could get them from vending machines, trains and restaurants. They're absolutely everywhere [and] we became obsessed…" said co-owner Joshua Crasti, who owns Saint Dreux and Bench along with Nick Chen, Frankie Tan and Claye Tobin. While, traditionally, katsu sandos are made with soft (crustless) white bread, cabbage, sweet tonkatsu sauce, kewpie mayo and panko-crumbed pork, the Saint Dreux team has widened the range to include wagyu beef, ebi (prawn), tori (chicken), tamago (egg) and the classic tonkatsu with Kurobuta Berkshire pork. Think white bread sandwiches must equal cheap? Think again. While most of the sandos sit around the $15 mark, the wagyu version will set you back a whole $28 — which might just make it Melbourne's most expensive sandwich. Despite this — or because of it — the sandwiches are selling out pretty early most days, so we suggest swinging by early if you want to snag House-made castella cakes are also available in original, black sesame, matcha and hōjicha (Japanese green tea) flavours, as well as croissants and an assortment of pastries by local Bakemono Bakers. Saint Dreux is the latest vendor to join St Collins Lane's contemporary food hub and sits neatly amongst a range of pan-Asian fare including Sushi Boto (where sushi is delivered to you via boat instead of train), Poke Workshop and Think Asia as well as a couple of espresso bars. Images: Bekon Media. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Sandwiches in Melbourne for 2023
Having just landed amid Windsor's dynamic dining scene, Duke Lane is bringing a little Latin American fusion to the party. Situated in the home of former local icon Saigon Sally, this new arrival hopes to achieve a similar kind of vibrancy that delivers food, fun and togetherness in spades for both locals and those from further afield. So, what can you expect? Created for sharing, the menu offers a myriad of global culinary influences shaped by founder Dijon Gordon's experiences in Melbourne, London and throughout South America. Showcasing a commitment to loud flavours, fresh ingredients and communal spirit, Duke Lane is primed for top-quality dining and drinks. "The inspiration for Duke Lane comes from a deeply personal place," says founder Dijon Gordon, who has dedicated the venue to the memory of his brother. "I wanted to create a space that embodies celebration, connection, and joy. With great music, an electric ambience, and food designed to be shared, Duke Lane is all about making every dining occasion special." On the menu, a plethora of Latin and local flavours present a fascinating blend of adventurous dishes. Crowd-pleasing highlights include arepitas with slow-cooked beef brisket, guacamole and pico de gallo. As for larger options, the 300-gram porterhouse is flame-grilled and coated in a signature spice rub, served sliced with house-made traditional chimichurri or creamy pepper sauce. Meanwhile, the tres leches cake sees sponge cake soaked in three types of milk, then topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The drinks menu is similarly thoughtful, featuring an expertly crafted cocktail list. Drawing inspiration from near and far, house signatures include The Delightful Turk, featuring Turkish delight gin, cranberry juice and dried roses, while The Sour Duke combines macadamia-infused gin with lemon juice and bitters. For something a little different, a special dessert shot menu offers playful doubles, like the Churro Shot and the Jam Donut Shot. With the venue taking its name from its distinctive laneway-inspired setting on Duke Street, the surrounding streetscape is adorned with striking street art and the upbeat atmosphere synonymous with nearby Chapel Street. Once you step inside, expect a seamless transition into a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for late-night cocktails and conversation. Duke Lane is open Wednesday–Thursday from 5pm–10pm, Friday from 5pm–11pm, Saturday from 12pm–11pm and Sunday from 12pm–10pm at 2 Duke Street, Windsor. Head to the website for more information.
Your phone doesn't always need to be glued to your hand, but that's often easier said than done. Your nights out don't need photographic evidence to prove that they occurred, but that's also rarely the case anymore. This Never Happened is rallying against that status quo, however, via the Lane 8's record label's dance parties. The distraction-free This Never Happens Presents gigs first arrived in Australia in 2023 — and in 2025, they're returning for two more evenings of shenanigans without phones and cameras. Pics or it didn't happen? Not here. You won't have a screen in your hand — or face. You won't be swiping, texting or doing anything else with the gadget that we're all addicted to, either. Attendees will have their phones taped upon arrival, because these dance music get-togethers are all about connecting IRL and in the moment. [caption id="attachment_979217" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Megan Burch[/caption] French house producer Massane and Dublin-based DJ EMBRZ are headlining the two parties, with support from Samantha Loveridge — following in the footsteps of Le Youth, Sultan & Shepard and PARIS in 2023. Whatever their sets bring, you'll just have to rely upon your noggin to remember all of the highlights afterwards. This Never Happens Presents' 2025 shindigs will first hit 170 Russell in Melbourne on Friday, January 17, then move to Sydney's Liberty Hall on Saturday, January 18. While Brisbane was included in 2023, that's sadly not the case this time around. When it last made the trip Down Under, This Never Happened held its first shows in this part of the world, after launching in 2016, signing artists who've toured with producer and DJ Lane 8, and initially hosting parties in 2017 and 2019 elsewhere around the globe. Clearly, its Aussie visit was a hit, hence the return tour. In 2025, Massane and Embrz will also be making their Australian debuts. This Never Happened Presents 2025 Dates Friday, January 17 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Saturday, January 18 — Liberty Hall, Sydney This Never Happened Presents 2025 Lineup Massane EMBRZ Samantha Loveridge This Never Happened Presents hits Melbourne and Sydney in January 2025, with ticket pre-sales from 11am AEDT on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 and general sales from 11am AEDT on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Megan Burch.
We all have movies that change us, open up the world to us and/or make us feel seen. Most folks, whether they're filmmakers or not, don't then bring new versions of those pictures to cinemas — no matter how much they might want to. Andrew Ahn's feature filmography started with his 2016 debut Spa Night, then delivered 2019's Driveways and 2022's Fire Island, and now adds a fresh take on a Berlin-winning, Oscar-nominated 90s box-office hit that marked just the second film from Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi Best Director Academy Award-winner Ang Lee. 1993's The Wedding Banquet was also the first gay movie, first gay Asian movie and first gay Asian American movie that Ahn ever saw. The man behind the camera on 2025's The Wedding Banquet was eight when he watched the original picture courtesy of a video-store rental. When he started on the path to becoming a filmmaker himself, and even once he had a movie or two under his belt — long before this project came his way, then — crafting his own version didn't ever occur to him. "Oh, it never crossed my mind — like, not a direct remake," Ahn tells Concrete Playground about the fourth feature on his resume, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. "I think I thought about similar themes and ideas, but to make something that would be called The Wedding Banquet, I could never have imagined. It really took the producers approaching me. Our producers had been chatting before I was in the picture, and I think their scheming led to this." Three decades back, The Wedding Banquet focused on Manhattan-based gay Taiwanese man Gao Wai-Tung (Winston Chao, Daughter's Daughter), whose parents (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Sihung Lung and Qing yu nian's Ah-Lei Gua) had no idea that he wasn't straight, let alone any awareness of his long-term American partner Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein, Modern Houses), and so had matchmaking their son with a future bride and stressing their yearning for grandchildren firmly on their minds. As co-written by Lee with James Schamus (The King's Daughter) and Neil Peng (The Candidate), the film makes Wai-Tung's mother and father's dreams come true via Wei-Wei (May Chin, now a Taiwanese politician), a Chinese artist who'll be deported if she doesn't get a green card. Of course the eponymous event takes place, with Mr and Mrs Gao in attendance and in the dark that it's all a sham. Lee's movie is a comedy, romantic and screwball alike, and equally a deeply considered and thoughtful relationship drama, plus a compassionate family drama. A reimagining rather than a remake, 2025's The Wedding Banquet falls into all of the above categories still, so it's a rom-com, it's screwball, and it's both a relationship and family drama as well; however, Ahn and Schamus — who returned to co-write another The Wedding Banquet, after initially collaborating with Ahn by producing Driveways — have their eyes firmly on the queer experience right now. As a result, while there's winks and nods to the original, and clear affection for it evident across its frames, this take on the film is guided by how the initial flick's setup would truly play out two decades into the 21st century as it explores queer identity, cultural heritage and community. Accordingly, audiences meet two Seattle-based queer couples: Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, Control Freak) and Lee (Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance), plus Min (Han Gi-Chan, Dare to Love Me) and Chris (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live). Among their families, Angela's mother (Joan Chen, Dìdi) wins awards for her allyship, while Min's grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung, Pachinko) is the head of a Korea-originated multinational company that he has always been expected to take over. Having children is Angela and Lee's priority, but after two unsuccessful rounds of IVF they're now out of money for a third. While cash isn't a problem for Min, the fact that his student visa will soon expire is — and so is Chris' commitment-phobic reluctance to marry him. The plan, then, is for Angela and Min to wed, helping the latter stay in the US in exchange for financial assistance for Lee's next IVF treatment. [caption id="attachment_1003561" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Janice Chung[/caption] One of the key points that's pushed further to the fore this time around is parenthood — and what it means to have a family as a queer couple. Ahn's fondness for the families that we choose, as seen across his filmography so far, remains a pivotal element of The Wedding Banquet, but so does the specific intention and effort needed to pass on your genes when getting pregnant can't just happen accidentally as it can for some in heterosexual relationships. That thread, and even a specific line of dialogue about it, comes from Ahn's own life. As such, he's not just lending his loving eyes to a new iteration of a movie that's personally important to him — alongside his Korean American background, he's lending parts of his existence. Ahn's on-screen ensemble is clearly phenomenal, including Gladstone in a more-comedic role than audiences are accustomed to seeing the Killers of the Flower Moon Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe-winner in, the director giving his Fire Island star Yang a more-dramatic arc, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker's Tran in a film with a smart and funny Star Wars line, Han getting his feature film and English-language debut, Chen after she was almost cast in the original and Youn's first American film since winning her Oscar for Minari. Also exceptional: how lived-in that they make their characters' connections feel. We spoke to Ahn about that, drawing from his own reality to highlight queer parenthood, how his past work — episodes of Bridgerton among them — led him here, fleshing out the narrative for 2025, tonal balance, found families and more. On Ahn's Past Work, Including Spa Night, Driveways, Fire Island and Directing Episodes of Bridgerton, Leading Him to a New Version of The Wedding Banquet "I think everything that I do feels informed by what I worked on in the past. Even Bridgerton I feel like snuck its way into The Wedding Banquet a little bit — the romanticism of it. I think The Wedding Banquet definitely required me to pull from so many different parts of my life, as a person and as a filmmaker, to make this film the best that I could." On Working Out Where to Take a New Iteration of The Wedding Banquet, Including a Broader Range of Characters, Exploring the Korean American Experience, and Examining Allyship, Found Families and Having Children "It was kind of step by step. When I rewatched the film in preparation for my conversation with the producers, there were first instincts that were just inspired by how beautiful the original film is. I wondered 'what if the bride in the original film, Wei-Wei, what if she also were queer and had a lesbian partner?'. And then, thinking about how gay people can get married now, I wondered 'now that we can, should we?'. Like 'do we really want to?' And then in the original film, there's an accidental pregnancy — 'but what if we see a couple trying to get pregnant, and planning to have a baby?'. And so these were very helpful foundation-building elements to the story, and I worked with James Schamus to really breathe life into these characters, and engineer the many different themes and questions that we were wrestling with. It was a very difficult process. We worked very hard, and we were writing the film for more than five years, and so it was a real labour of love. I'm so thankful for James, and just the years of experience that he had — not just as a screenwriter, but also as a producer and a director. You could not ask for a more-experienced collaborator." On First Watching Ang Lee's Film at the Age of Eight, Then Reimagining It Three Decades Later "I think it definitely helped that I had a really special relationship with the original film, but that wouldn't be enough. I think what helped me understand 'this is my film that I can make' was the phase of adulthood that I found myself in when I was working on this — and really thinking about getting married and having children. I had a lot of conversations with my boyfriend about marriage and kids, and I realised that I felt very strongly about how important and how beautiful queer family-building is — and that really was my guiding light through this whole process in making this movie." On Drawing One of the Film's Key Exchanges About the Intention Needed for Queer Couples to Start a Family From Ahn's Own Life "I wanted to talk about how that's a reality of queer people's existences — and one of the challenges of building family that's not even defined by homophobia. It's not like there's a straight person keeping us away from building family. It's our own hesitations. There's definitely, of course, a lot of financial and legal reasons that complicate queer family-building, but we kind of have to get out of our own way first, and just believe that this is something that we can do and that we want. And so I really wanted to talk about this particular nuance that I don't think has been explored in an in-depth way on the big screen. So it was an insight that I had only come to in having a conversation with my boyfriend, and I took that line of 'if it happens, it happens' straight out of my boyfriend's mouth onto the page." On Helping Ensure That Years and Even Decades of Intimacy Shone Through Among the FIlm's Characters Thanks to Its Stacked Cast "It's such an incredible ensemble, and I had so much fun working with them. They were all so game. They wanted to be vulnerable, and they showed so much generosity with each other and with me. I think of directing as creating an environment where these actors can feel safe and inspired, and so there was a lot of conversation that I had with each of the actors before they came to set — and then as much as we could find rehearsal time, we built in rehearsal time in our schedule so that we could fast-track an intimacy. I think these actors are all incredible, incredible actors, and so it's not hard to get a great performance out of them — and so for me, it's just about creating an energy and a space for them to really be present and work with each other well. And for me, I think a lot of that had to do with just putting together a cast and crew that really valued the story and what we were doing, and understood the meaningfulness of our work." On Casting Gladstone in a More-Comic Role Than Audiences Are Used to Seeing Her in, and Also Giving Yang a More-Dramatic Arc "I love being able to work with actors in a mode that they might not be used to or have been cast in before. I think it's fun to broaden the horizon for an audience of who these actors are and can be. Bowen, I loved working with him on Fire Island, and I just see so much charisma and vulnerability that I think is undeniable. And then when Lily, she's so serious in some of her work, but I saw her in some interviews and she's such a goofball. And I love that. And so I had a lot of belief that she could have fun in this role. And the way both of those actors — the way that all of our actors — traverse the balance of comedy and drama, it was very inspiring to watch." On Making a Romantic Comedy and a Screwball Comedy That's Also a Family Drama, and Is Deeply Considered and Thoughtful About Queer Identity, Cultural Heritage and Community "I think tone is one of the hardest things about filmmaking, and it's because it takes the entire process to figure out. You are writing it, you are directing it, you are editing it, and it's not until the very end, even with score and sound design and colour correction, where you've figured out the tone of your movie. And so it's really about trusting the artistic process and giving yourself options. In the script, we had alt lines for other jokes, for different zingers. On set, we would do certain takes more dramatically, do certain takes more comedically. In the edit, we're constantly adjusting. And so we had to just trust in the process — and in some ways trust in my own intuition and just energy. My editor Geraud Brisson [Lessons in Chemistry] mentioned that the film, it kind of feels like hanging out with me. And I used that as a creative north star in helping find that really complicated but fun balance of comedy and drama." [caption id="attachment_1003558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fire Island, photo by Jeong Park. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved[/caption] On Why the Idea of Found Family Interests Ahn and Keeps Popping Up Through His Work "I think found family, it is something worth celebrating, and I think we can take it for granted sometimes. Our friends, our relationships — there's so much there, there's so much that needs to happen, there's so much work you need to put in in creating your chosen family. And so when you can create your own chosen family, it's really worth celebrating. And so it's something that I feel like whether you're queer or not, it's a very meaningful reminder" The Wedding Banquet opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The Wedding Banquet images: Luka Cyprian, Bleecker Street.
For a suburb sandwiched between South Melbourne, St Kilda and Australia's only Formula 1 track (sorry, Adelaide), Middle Park still feels like a well-guarded secret. But if there's one thing that's been shining a spotlight on otherwise slept-on suburbs in the post-pandemic era, it's the opening of a cosy neighbourhood wine bar — and, finally, it's the leafy bayside neighbourhood's turn to join the snack-and-sip party with the opening of Middle Park European. This smart, sun-washed new bistro has landed in the charming Armstrong Street village, care of the fast-expanding Valarc Group, the team behind Richmond's Tartine Bistro, Windsor's Ines Wine Bar and Sistine, The Meatball & Wine Bar, and Ned's Bake & Bistro (which has an outpost further down Armstrong Street). The venue features an Italian- and French-leaning menu and channels the spirit of the all-day wine bars more typically found in Europe — and to that end, this newcomer is open for lunch and dinner. [caption id="attachment_1007758" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chege Mbuthi[/caption] The design is a nod to both old-world Europe and the heritage architecture of its location, with walnut detailing hand-crafted by a local boatbuilder, imported Italian lighting, rustic tiling and natural stone finishes coming together to bring a touch of Paris or Rome to Melbourne's inner south. At the pass is Head Chef Aaron Wrafter, whose resume includes time at Michelin-starred Birmingham restaurants Turners and Harborne Kitchen. Under the mentorship of legendary chef Ian Curley, he's crafted a considered menu that spans from small plates, like crab with fennel on milk loaf and stracciatella with pickled chilli, mint, persimmon and pistachio, to more substantial dishes like handmade pastas, dry-aged steaks, and even fish and chips. [caption id="attachment_1007757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chege Mbuthi[/caption] The drinks program is equally thoughtful. There's an approachable lineup of Australian, French and Italian wines — including drops from Valarc's own Sandhill Estate in the Macedon Ranges — as well as a selection of premium champagnes and a cocktail list inspired by the group's other venues. "We wanted to create a place that feels like home for the community and surrounding suburbs, but also a destination worth visiting," says Valarc Group owner — and proud Albert Park resident — Matteo Bruno. Now that Middle Park is on the Melbourne wine bar map, Bruno may have done just that. [caption id="attachment_1007761" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chege Mbuthi[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chege Mbuthi[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chege Mbuthi[/caption] Middle Park European is now open at 20 Armstrong Street, Middle Park. It's open Tuesday–Sunday for lunch and dinner. For more information, head to the venue's website. Top image: Chege Mbuthi.
There’s an adorable, somewhat maternal trend emerging on the Melbourne restaurant scene. Our favourite eateries have been creating mini-me versions of themselves — snack bars, cocktail lounges, take away windows, food trucks — that channel the same vibe but are the antithesis of chain expansion. Mr Miyagi, Chapel Street's incredibly cute Japanese eatery, is following this example and opening an even cuter little cocktail bar next door. Yukie’s Snack Bar (named after Mr Miyagi’s eternal love Yukie, nawww) is opening next Tuesday, December 15 in the space next door to Mr Miyagi. The pair will work in harmony with each other, sharing opening hours — which, just FYI, are 5pm till late, seven nights a week. Yukie’s will serve bite-sized counterparts of the food you know and love at Mr Miyagi (think along the lines of the Nori Taco people lose their shit over). There'll be kingfish cured on a Himalayan rock salt slab with green chili, coriander cream and crispy quinoa, and Applewood hot smoked salmon tostadillas, served with fennel, apple, coriander, with yuzu shoyu dressing (mmmf *drools*). Yukie's will also offer a unique and extensive cocktail menu including a raspberry and tonka bean margarita with black lava salt (what even is that?) and a salted watermelon martini garnished with Midori-infused 'faux' olives (very intriguing). Yukie’s is designed as a self-contained bar offering lighter snacks while you pound drinks, or as a destination for a post-Miyagi meal cocktail. Welcome to the family, Yukie. Yukie’s Snack Bar, 99 Chapel Street, Windsor, opening on Tuesday December 15. Images: Simon Shiff and Timothy Grey
Back in 1982, Melbourne played host to one of China's most important ancient artworks: a collection of statues known as The Terracotta Army. Crafted between 221–206 BCE and first discovered in the Shaanxi province in 1974, it made its international debut at the National Gallery of Victoria — and now, 37 years later, it's returning for the NGV's 2019 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Dubbed Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, the five-month exhibition will feature eight warrior figures and two life-size horses from The Terracotta Army, alongside two half-size replica bronze chariots that are each drawn by four horses. They were created during the reign of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang and were buried near his tomb more than 2200 years ago. The pieces coming to Melbourne only represent a fraction of the entire work, which numbers more than 8000 figures in total. If you're wondering how big of a deal the statues are, the answer is very. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century and has also been described as the 'Eighth' Wonder of the World. Displaying at the NGV from May 24 to October 13, 2019, the selected pieces will be accompanied by more than 150 other ancient Chinese treasures sourced from museums and Shaanxi archaeological sites. Expect to rove your eyes over priceless gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date back more than 3000 years, charting China's artistry across the country's formative period. Here's The Terracotta Army in all its glory: Looking to the present as well as the past, the NGV's winter season will also celebrate acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. His work is no stranger to Australia — in 2014, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art hosted its own showcase — however, his Melbourne exhibition will feature all new pieces. With Cai known for his large-scale installations, The Transient Landscape will include 10,000 porcelain birds suspended in a spiral formation, in an artwork that links to The Terracotta Army. Specifically, it'll create a 3D version of a calligraphic drawing that depicts Mount Li, which is where Qin Shi Huang and his terracotta warriors were buried. Another of Cai's new works will feature a porcelain sculpture of peonies placed in the middle of a 360-degree gunpowder, with his entire show taking inspiration from Chinese culture and philosophy. The world-renowned talent will also help design Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, making the two concurrent exhibitions as immersive as possible. 'Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality' and 'Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape' will exhibit as part of the NGV International's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces presentation, running from May 24 to October 13, 2019. For further details or to buy tickets, visit the NGV website. Images: The terracotta army, Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, Xi'an.
West Melbourne locals are in for a real treat this winter, thanks to the return of Grazeland's seasonal transformation. Every Friday–Sunday from June 28–July 28, the Spotswood food hub will once again transform into a colourful winter wonderland, complete with neon lights, falling snow, firepits, roaming entertainers, and a stack of warming food and drink vendors. The food lineup includes Momo's, Lucky Little Dumplings and Ms Wonton, which will be serving up fried and steamed parcels of goodness throughout the month-long winter makeover, while Frencheese will pump out sizzling raclette and Brat Boy's Baked Potatoes will have you sorted for steaming plates of buttery carbs. You can also stop by Bun Tessa for its famed seafood boil, Tandoori Land for its specialty tikka masala and Drums for classic Sri Lankan curries. Follow it up with Street Crepes' pancakes topped with chocolate, ice cream and fresh fruit, or Sticky Fingers' moreish hot jam doughnuts. Grazeland's bars will also seek to warm up punters with spiced mulled wine, in addition to their usual drinks offerings. This month-long experience is a brilliant weekend alternative to QVM's Winter Night Market, not to mention the perfect excuse to get out of the house and embrace winter. Grazeland's Winter Wonderland will run every Friday–Sunday, from Friday, June 26–Sunday, July 28. For more information, visit the venue's website.
Early in 2024, Dave Parker (San Telmo Group and Sebastian), and Kelly and Alex Brawn (Sebastian) opened the ground-floor all-day dining venue Caffé Amatrice (pronounced ah-muh-tree-chay) in one of Cremorne's buzzing backstreets. And come November 24', a sibling entered the fray. Now, navigating the streets of a suburb like this, it can be easy to miss the front door for one of the most elevated Italian spots in town. Elevated in more ways than one (we're talking quality and altitude), Amatrice Rooftop is ready and waiting to knock your socks off with sizeable plates of Italian fare and 180º of rooftop views and vibes. While the downstairs sandwiches are one of the favourites of the local Concrete Playground team, the rooftop is something really special. Entering, the aesthetics are clear and appealing. Credit is due to interior designer Brahman Perera, who has crafted a space that swaps the lobby's black and grey for red velvet-upholstered banquette seating and imported maroon marble tables, setting the stage for a seriously spectacular feed. Indoor bookings are treated to a skyline city view, while outdoor diners can take in the distant Dandenong Ranges. Head Chef Vincenzo Di Giovanniello (Bar Carolina, Osteria Ilaria) is running the food front, which traipses across various Italian regions. Pasta, however, is the star of the show at Amatrice Rooftop Restaurant. The menu is split between egg pasta dishes paired with classic sauces and Roman-style non-egg pasta — choose from either spaghetti or mezze maniche and then add one of the sauces available on the day. The team sources ingredients from across Italy, but the egg pasta is the star of the show — sourced from the village of Campofilone and boasting the highest egg ratio of any pasta, Di Giovanniello considers it "the champagne of pasta". For a little bit of everything, order as we did: start small with hot and earthy mushroom croquettes and moreish lasagna bites, move on to larger serves of pasta (the cacio e pepe is one of the best we've ever had) and grab a hearty main like the veal cotoletta, marinated half chicken or Murray cod. Don't forget to save some room for dessert. The tiramisu is unconventional in appearance but delicious all the same. The drinks are inspired by the Northern Italian travels of co-owner Dave Parker and lea right into the increasingly popular aperitivo style of sipping. The menu stars a healthy variety of house-made cocktails, Aussie-sourced bitters and imported Italian wines. From classics like amaretto sours and limoncello spritzes to signatures like the Amatrice Airlines, the cocktail list alone will keep you busy as the courses keep on coming.
With Australia's borders firmly shut, international travel has been relegated to the realm of dreams. And it looks like it'll be staying there for a good long while. But, at least, in those dreams you can be living it up in Business Class, channeling your best high-flying, jet-setting self. It's all thanks to Aussie airline Qantas, which is now delivering its pyjamas, amenity sets and other in-flight goodies straight to your door. With flights suspended and many of the group's planes grounded, the airline company has an oversupply of all those fancy business class items, including branded threads, premium plane snacks and toiletry packs stocked with Aspar skin products. We're talking printed eye masks, T2 tea bags, shea butter hand cream and sweet orange lip balm for days. And instead of going to town on all those extra smoked almonds and Tim Tams, Qantas has gathered the surplus and created a bunch of upscale care packages, available for shipping Australia-wide. Clocking in at $25 (delivery included), the limited-edition packs are an easy way to cheer up a glum mate in lockdown or that relative who's battling serious travel withdrawals. Or hey, just nab one for yourself, don those pjs and infuse your next couch session with some swanky business class vibes. You can send up to ten of the care packages to addresses anywhere in Australia, by heading to the website. You'll need to be a Frequent Flyer club member first, but Qantas is currently offering free sign-ups. And, if you want to save your dollars, packs can also be purchased using 4350 Qantas points a pop. After all, it's not like you'll be spending them on overseas flights anytime in the near future. You can buy Qantas' Care Packs online, using cash or points.
When is a hotel not really a hotel? When it's a hotel-themed bar that decks out its interiors like somewhere you can stay — taking a few cues from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shining's Overlook Hotel, in fact — but doesn't actually include slumbering in its rooms. When is an escape room bar not at all an escape room bar? When it takes the escape room concept of theming different spaces — those aforementioned hotel-style rooms — and decks them out with challenges instead. Yes, the premise behind Hijinx Hotel needs a bit of explaining. It also gleans inspiration from all those supremely Instagrammable pop-up installations that include ball pits, but this one is sticking around in one spot permanently. Plus, it jams in three different bars for multiple cocktail-sipping opportunities, nods to New York hotels in its facade, and ensures that each one of its rooms pays homage to either a movie or a board game from the 80s and 90s. First announced back in mid-April, and now opening its doors in Sydney on Friday, June 17, Hijinx Hotel is basically an OTT nostalgia bomb — and something that Willy Wonka would've been proud to dream up if the fictional character branched out beyond making chocolate and candy. It hails from a team that know a few things about indulgent kidulting experiences, with Funlab also behind venues such as Strike, Holey Moley, Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq, and B Lucky and Sons. And, Hijinx Hotel also sits next to a brand-new 27-hole Holey Moley, too, with the boozy mini-golf spot's latest venue going big on Alice in Wonderland vibes. Escapism is clearly the name of the game here, and partying like you would've before you were old enough to drink alcohol — but with the hard stuff definitely on offer. Wondering what that entails? Yes, it's as chaotic as it all sounds. Firstly, you enter via the faux hotel lobby bar that's full of colour and surrealist touches. You won't miss the purple unicorn in the centre of the bar, for instance. Instead of merely checking in, though, you'll down cocktails in the neon-lit space — including a particularly potent Red Bull number that's served in a golden owl-shaped vessel, multiple types of margaritas, and the bubble-topped Bubble and Pop (made with tequila, white chocolate, passionfruit, lemon and egg white, and that scented bubble) — and hang out in booths. As for the not-quite-hotel rooms themselves, there's 15 of them, with ten opening at launch and five more unveiling their wonders in the weeks afterwards. To gain access, you do need to head to reception t0 pick up a swipe card. Next, you'll follow the concierge's instructions to the red elevator — without a river of blood flowing out of it, thankfully. Inside the rooms, prepare to play games inspired by Twister, Scrabble and Tetris — here called Poke A Dot, Scrambled and Shape'n Up — in separate spaces. Or, Tom Hanks fans can live out their Big dreams in the piano room, which features a giant keyboard across the floor, and requires you to play it with your feet. Prefer Titanic? Then make a date with the Draw Me Like One Of Your French Girls room, which is designed to make you feel like you're in the middle of a sinking ship. Other highlights include a pastel ball pit that resembles a huge bowl of cereal, a room that releases balls from the top of the wall like you're in a life-sized pinball machine, and another that's all about shooting hoops. In each, you'll need to complete a challenge within a set time — with set packages spanning five rooms starting at $25 per adult for 30 minutes. As well as that already-mentioned lobby bar, there are two other places in quench your thirst — and you can snack on bites such as fries, pizzas and two-cheese toasted sandwiches. Whether you're a Sydneysider scoping out your next boozy bit of fun, or you live elsewhere and you're making plans for a trip to the Harbour City, you now have somewhere new to head to. And, as well as that new Holey Moley, there's also an Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq in the same complex. Usually, Funlab launches its new concepts in one city, then shares the love across other east coast capitals. So Melburnians and Brisbanites, cross your fingers that more Hijinx Hotels will eventually pop up closer to home. Find Hijinx Hotel at 75 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria, Sydney, from Friday, June 17. For further information or to make a booking, head to the venue's website.
Mark this down as one of 2026's must-see tours: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are playing a slate of shows in Australia. Three gigs will take over Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne across Friday, January 30–Sunday, February 1. The group's Wild God tour is finally making its way to this part of the globe, after dates across UK, Europe and North America in 2024 and 2025. Fans can get excited about a two-and-a-half-hour concert focused on the band's 2024 record Wild God, but also spanning their four-decade career. 'Red Right Hand' and 'Into My Arms' have indeed been on the set list so far. Cave and Ellis last hit the stage Down Under sans the rest of The Bad Seeds on the Aussie run of their Carnage tour in 2022, supporting the 2021 album that shared the tour's name — which actually marked Cave and Ellis' first studio album as a duo. Bandmates across several projects since the 90s — including Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and Grinderman — Cave and Ellis are Aussie icons, with careers spanning back decades. Together, they also boast more than a few phenomenal film scores to their names as well, including for The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road, West of Memphis, Far From Men, Hell or High Water and Wind River. Images: Megan Cullen.
As it stands, Mornington Peninsula's Alba Thermal Springs & Spa is already epic — home to over 30 geothermal pools scattered across its 15-hectare property. But one of Melbourne's best spas and natural hot springs destinations is about to get a whole lot better, having just announced plans to build five new luxury villas and two studio rooms on the dunes overlooking the estate. Slated to open in early 2025, these new accommodations — collectively known as The Sanctuary — will have their interiors designed by Kate Walker of KWD in Mt Martha, and feature a heap of top-tier amenities. Get around Aesop products, a pillow menu, and a complimentary mini-bar stocked with wines from Ten Minutes by Tractor, specialty brews from St Andrew's Beach Brewery and Illy coffee. Those wanting breakfast onsite can head to the spa's Thyme or have it delivered to their room — eating in bed (or on the balcony) while looking out over the property and surrounding dunes. A night's stay in one of the private villas starts at $950, and a night in one of the rooms starts at $650. You can then add on spa treatments and hot springs access to make it a truly indulgent night or weekend away. The Sanctuary at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa is slated to open in early 2025, and can be found at 282 Browns Road, Fingal. For more information, you can check out the venue's website.
Live local music, the Australian Open and a cold one. If you're a tennis fan, this is the summer trifecta — and Canadian Club is giving Australia's biggest fortnight of tennis a truly epic start from its Birrarung Marr hilltop perch. The Jungle Giants are taking over the Canadian Club Racquet Club sound system with an exclusive DJ set in the ultimate day-one-of-tournament party hosted by Abbie Chatfield. One of the most fun live acts touring right now, they'll be fresh off the back of a massive regional tour and a guaranteed good time. Supporting sets by Brooke Evers, one of the hottest DJs in Australia at the moment, and local indie dance duo Nite Theory will kick off party proceedings in the afternoon. We recommend registering early since this is a line up that promises to go off. Match the blue carpet and don your best blue and white threads. If you really want to get into the tournament spirit, tennis couture is welcome—and encouraged. You'll also have the chance to get up close and personal with the official AO trophies, with the silverware making guest appearances at the event throughout the night. This is the ultimate Sunday sesh, with the party kicking off at 5pm on Sunday, January 12. Headliners The Jungle Giants (DJ set) will play from 7.30pm, with supporting acts Nite Theory and Brooke Evers on at approximately 4pm and 6.30pm, respectively. Canadian Club's Australian Open launch party might wrap at the end of the first day of play, but the good times at the Canadian Club Racquet Club will rally on. Well over a decade into their partnership with the Australian Open, Canadian Club knows exactly how to put on a good time at the tennis. Head to the Canadian Club Racquet Club throughout the Australian Open for refreshing drinks and good times — no tennis ticket needed. Pre-register your interest for the Canadian Club's Australian Open launch party for your free tickets.
If there's one thing a city can't have too many of, it's rooftop bars. Especially rooftop bars designed by the guys behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat, with plates of barbecue Thai food and epic views of Melbourne's CBD. Welcome to HER Rooftop, Melbourne's newest sky-high hospo joint. This is the top floor of the hotly anticipated HER – a four-storey mega-venue from the Arbory guys, which has been in development since December 2020 and officially opened this month. [caption id="attachment_843584" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] There's an all-day French diner on the ground floor. A dedicated 'listening bar' on Level 2. A sizzling Thai BBQ canteen above that. And finally HER Rooftop, a cocktail bar-slash garden terrace designed by Melbourne-born, Sydney-based Tamsin Johnson. HER Rooftop looks like an old-world European garden party that's been plonked down on a Melbourne rooftop. There are wrought-iron tables and chairs, a geometric Italian marble floor, lush green planter boxes everywhere and colour-packed wall tiles. Even the bar at the back is speccy, with a custom zinc coating, brass detailing and three arched rose-tinted mirrors (so you can check yourself out while waiting for your handmade digestif). "The sun-washed hues embody the mood of HER; a scene that might define the mood of our guests with an evocative sense of romance and light-heartedness, like players on a stage," says Johnson. You can squeeze 120 guests up here, and there's plenty for them to drink. HER Rooftop will be open till 1:00am every night, slinging a carefully curated mix of cocktails and spirits. The focus seems to be on boutique tequila and gins, which is a recipe for a big night right there, but you can also order burnt pineapple margaritas, pink grapefruit Palomas, or a mix of Euro aperitifs. [caption id="attachment_843573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] To soak up the booze, you've got Thai barbecue from BKK downstairs. Expect hulking fried chicken sandwiches with Som Tum and sweet chilli, a selection of laab (the vegan laab with crispy eggplant is our personal fave), and southern rice salad. "HER Rooftop could be a gorgeous terrace in Europe, miles away, yet it's in the heart of Melbourne. We want to transport guests, in our playful European-inspired interiors, whether it be over a cocktail, lunch or sunset session," says Matt Thomas, HER's General Manager. HER and HER Rooftop are open for business. You can find them at 270 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne, inside the old Federation Building. HER Rooftop is open from 11:30am to 1:00am, seven days a week.
Melbourne's hotel scene just keeps booming, with an impressive new Marriott Hotel outpost set to launch in the heart of Docklands. And this one comes complete with a whole swag of onsite hospitality venues, including a swanky rooftop bar and heated infinity pool. Slated to open late June, the Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will be the suburb's only five-star hotel, boasting 189 luxury rooms kitted out with features like 'retail-inspired wardrobes' and 55-inch LCD TVs. Then, there's the hefty collection of food and drink offerings, including one next to the hotel's crowning glory — the stunning infinity pool, complemented by sweeping views to the west overlooking Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. Escape up here for a taste of the high life and you'll be swimming in a 28-metre wet-edge pool — or lounging on a day bed enjoying cocktails and high-end panoramas. You don't even need to be a hotel guest to take advantage, with day passes available for $68 (or $168 for a family of two adults and two children), which gets you four-hour entry to the rooftop pool and whirlpool, plus use of both the sauna and the hotel's high-tech gym. Adjacent rooftop bar Sunset House is set to be a buzzy sky-high destination where punters can kick back on lounges nibbling finger sandwiches — and quaff signature cocktails and a range of Everleigh's bottled spritzes. After dark, the menu will expamd to include chic shared plates like katsu sandos, duck jaffles, Moreton Bay bug rolls, and tuna sashimi teamed with a green chilli sambal and sesame tofu. Expect a program of nighttime DJ sets to match. Meanwhile, elegant all-day restaurant Archer's is being headed up by Executive Chef David Albert, and will champion local ingredients and producers through an offering of bold, technique-driven plates. You'll sit down to the likes of lamb tartare; Mount Martha mussels smoked over paper bark; and a dish of Great Ocean Road duck jamon with rhubarb compote, davidson plum and walnut mole. The fare's complemented by a considered drinks program from sommelier Hamish Small, including champagne aplenty. Explore further and you'll find casual all-day haunt Corsia, which trips from St Ali coffee and breakfast fare to Euro-leaning lunch dishes, and then onto after-work wines and Italian-style desserts. Cocktail lounge Ada's is the final piece of the puzzle, taking both its name and inspiration from the pioneering female mixologist that created the Savoy Hotel's famed Hanky Panky cocktail in the 1930s. The sophisticated space will be slinging chic bar snacks, revamped classic cocktails and an impressive range of non-alcoholic creations. The Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will open at 15 Waterfront Way, Docklands, from late June. For more details, or to book a stay or pool access, check out the website. Images: Dianna Snape
Grabbing everyone's attention with one shiny promise, then delivering something else as well: if you've ever watched Black Mirror, then you've seen that exact situation play out several times among its many tech nightmares. When the dystopian saga's seventh season arrives, that setup just might apply to the show itself, too. A sequel episode to season four's Star Trek-riffing USS Callister episode has long been promised, but a follow-up to choose-your-own-adventure movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch also appears to be part of the six-instalment return. Black Mirror season seven now has a trailer, and Bandersnatch's Will Poulter (The Bear) and Asim Chaudhry (Industry) are part of it. The next chapter in Charlie Brooker's can't-look-away take on how humanity's use of gadgets and innovations can go devastatingly wrong also has an official release date. In excellent news, you'll be plugging in soon, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The new episodes will drop two years after 2023's sixth season, which is a short gap in Black Mirror terms given that there was a four-year wait after season five. Season seven's batch of Black Mirror episodes is also bigger than the past two seasons, serving up six instalments — which only season three and four have done in the past. As teased by the trailer, the show's seventh season has artificial intelligence in its focus — and everything from a black-and-white realm and wearable tech to Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) chatting about expanding minds on offer along the way. From USS Callister, Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), Billy Magnussen (The Franchise), Milanka Brooks (The Windsors), Osy Ikhile (All American) and Paul G Raymond (Deadpool & Wolverine) are all back. Across the rest of the season, the cast also includes Awkwafina (Jackpot!), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu), Rashida Jones (Sunny), Chris O'Dowd (The Big Door Prize), Issa Rae (American Fiction), Michele Austin (Hard Truths), Tracee Ellis Ross (Candy Cane Lane), Harriet Walter (Silo), Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and more. And if you're wondering whether Brooker took any inspiration from his headline speaker gig at the first-ever SXSW Sydney in 2023, you'll need to watch the new season to find out. Chatting with Netflix, he has promised "a mix of genres and styles". Also "they're all sci-fi stories — there's definitely some horrifying things that occur, but maybe not in an overt horror-movie way. There's definitely some disturbing content in it." Check out the trailer for Black Mirror season seven below: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker.
As a staple of New Zealand's food scene for more than a decade, Botswana Butchery now has two Aussie outposts, bringing its luxe meat-focused offering first to Sydney, and more recently to Flinders Lane. With room for 300 punters across three levels, Botswana Butchery Melbourne is giving locals a taste of the brand's signature swanky styling and expansive menu celebrating premium meat and seafood. Inside, handsome Charlotte Spary-designed interiors feature marble-topped counters, sunken dining areas and sumptuous booth seating, as well as two terraces overlooking Flinders Lane. The kitchen is using a woodfired grill to celebrate a generous array of quality Aussie meat, while premium seafood and artisan charcuterie are heroed via a dedicated raw and cured bar. Ocean-fresh bites might include the likes of torched hiramasa kingfish with eggplant relish and burnt orange dressing ($28); snapper ceviche finished with tiger's milk ($29); and Alaskan crab leg sharing a milk bun with remoulade and iceberg lettuce ($39). There's a caviar service, too, or you can get your charcuterie kicks with options like wagyu bresaola ($22) and the house chicken paté ($19). Meat-lovers will find 14 steak — and lamb — cuts sourced from across Victoria and beyond, topping out with the 1.6-kilogram Rangers Valley Tomahawk for $320. Elsewhere, venison tartare is elevated with Tasmanian wasabi ($32); roasted blue eye is matched with a mussel saffron butter ($46); and a Berkshire pork chop stars grilled figs and fennel pollen ($52). More tough decisions await you over on the 1000-strong wine list, which champions Australian and New Zealand drops, and in the upstairs bar, with its expansive offering of cocktails, top-shelf tipples and rare spirits. Images: Garth Oriander
Beer comes in just about every imaginable flavour and formula these days, but you can't go wrong with the refreshing crispness of a good ol' lager. KAIJU! is one of the best in the business these days, with its lager brews twice taking home the top prize at the Australian International Beer Awards. On Saturday, July 5, you're invited to attend a one-off masterclass with the crew for Lager LoveFest – a special event dedicated to the beer, which sometimes gets overlooked by craft brew fans for new-fangled tastes and styles. Held at KAIJU! Beer & Pizza in Huntingdale, champion brewer Nat Reeves will be joined by The Craft Pint's Will Ziebell, taking guests on a behind-the-taps exploration of all things lager. "It's clean, it's technical and it's criminally underappreciated — but that's finally changing," says Reeves, whose Cerveza Crisp Lager recently took out Best Australian Style Lager at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards. "There's a huge shift happening in what beer drinkers want. Lager's not a guilty pleasure anymore — it's the main event." Tickets to this exclusive session are available for $20, and it comes with a pot of Cerveza Crisp Lager on arrival, plus a guided tasting of four lagers handpicked by Reeves and Ziebell. You'll also get a front-row seat to serious lager chat where nerding out about your go-to lager won't go amiss. Plus, you get ten percent off KAIJU!'s food menu throughout the event, so there's more to your session than just swigging back brews.
Australia, you will feel it coming after all: in what's been a chaotic time for fans keen to see Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye Down Under, the musician is finally bringing his After Hours Til Dawn tour this way. Come October 2024, the Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star will hit the country for four gigs, playing two in Melbourne, then another two in Sydney. The details for your diary: The Weeknd will take to the stage at Marvel Stadium in the Victorian capital across Saturday, October 5–Sunday, October 6, then do the same at Accor Stadium in the New South Wales capital on Tuesday, October 22–Wednesday, October 23. Missing from the rescheduled tour dates is a Brisbane stop, which is no longer happening "due to schedule and logistical constraints", tour promoter Live Nation has advised. [caption id="attachment_970220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyghly Allene[/caption] It was this time last year that The Weeknd announced that his latest massive stadium tour was on its way to both Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023 — even adding extra shows before general tickets went on sale — only for it to be postponed just two weeks out "due to unforeseen circumstances" without new dates being set. Then, in April 2024, the tour was cancelled for the time being, with ticketholders receiving refunds. "The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour for Australia and New Zealand is still in process of being rescheduled," said a statement on the Ticketek website earlier in the year, leaving hope then that the tour might be announced again in the future. "Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund," the message continued. Revealing the new Aussie shows now, The Weekend said that he feels "a strong pull to perform in Australia before moving on to the next chapter" and that he wanted "to make sure you all know I hadn't forgotten about you". "When I return now, it will be the right time, and I promise it will be such a special experience. I can't wait to see you all!" his announcement about the new dates continued. Mike Dean, Chxrry22 and Anna Lunoe will join The Weeknd Down Under. And if you've spotted that there's no New Zealand gigs this time around as well, his stop in Aotearoa is no longer on the schedule, just like Brisbane. An arena spectacular, The Weeknd's global tour began in 2022, notching up soldout shows far and wide. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. The reason for the whole tour, other than just because, is celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he has been playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. The Weeknd's 'After Hours Til Dawn' Tour 2024 Dates: Saturday, October 5–Sunday, October 6 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, October 22–Wednesday, October 23 — Accor Stadium, Sydney The Weeknd is touring Australia in October 2024 — and if you had tickets to his cancelled 2023 dates, you can nab new tickets via the past purchaser presale from 12pm in Melbourne and 1pm in Sydney on Wednesday, August 21. Other presales start from Thursday, August 22, with general sales from Monday, August 26. Head to the tour website for more information. Top image: Rafael Deprost.
For the second year in a row, heading to the movies wasn't a simple activity in 2021. Sometimes, it wasn't even possible at all. But when picture palaces were open, their projectors whirring and the scent of popcorn floating through the foyers, Australians went to see big-budget blockbusters such as Godzilla vs Kong, Fast and Furious 9, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Black Widow and No Time to Die en masse. We also threw plenty of love — and cash — at Aussie page-to-screen adaptation The Dry as well. They're some of 2021's cinema success stories in dollars, but money never tells the whole movie-going story in any year. Plenty of other films reached the silver screen Down Under over the past 12 months, didn't set the box office alight, but absolutely rank among the year's best. They're the must-sees that, based on their cinema takings, you likely didn't actually see — and you really should've. Whether you missed them because of lockdowns, restrictions, a lack of time, they weren't showing near you or just due to life in general (sorry, Jurassic Park, but sometimes life doesn't find a way), here are 12 top-notch flicks that hit Aussie cinemas in 2021 that you need to add to your catch-up list right now. EMA A new project by Chilean director Pablo Larraín is always cause for excitement, and Ema, his drama about a reggaeton dancer's crumbling marriage, personal and professional curiosities, and determined quest to be a mother, rewards that enthusiasm spectacularly. It's a stunning piece of cinema, and one that stands out even among his already-impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie, so that's no minor feat. For the first time in his career, Larraín peers at life in his homeland today, rather than in the past. And, with his now six-time cinematographer Sergio Armstrong (Tony Manero, Post Mortem), he gazes intently. Faces and bodies fill Ema's frames, a comment that's true of most movies; however, in both the probing patience it directs its protagonist's way and the fluidity of its dance sequences, this feature equally stares and surveys. Here, Larraín hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girólamo, Much Ado About Nothing) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle), something other than domestic bliss has followed. Following a traumatic incident, and the just as stressful decision to relinquish their boy back to the state's custody, Ema is not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. This isn't a situation she's simply willing to accept, though. Ema, the movie, is many things — and, most potently, it's a portrait of a woman who is willing to make whatever move she needs to, both on the dance floor and in life, to rally against an unforgiving world, grasp her idea of freedom and seize exactly what she wants. Di Girólamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light, while Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Read our full review. PIG Nicolas Cage plays a truffle hunter. That's it, that's the pitch. When securing funding, those six words should've been enough to ensure that Pig made it to cinemas. Or, maybe debut feature writer/director Michael Sarnoski went with these seven words: Nicolas Cage tracks down his stolen pet. Here's a final possibility that could've done the trick, too: Nicolas Cage does a moodier John Wick with a pig. Whichever hit the spot, or even if none did, Pig isn't merely the movie these descriptions intimate. It's better. It's weightier. It's exceptional. It always snuffles out its own trail, it takes joy in subverting almost every expectation and savouring the moment, and it constantly unearths surprises. When Cage is at his absolute best, he plays characters whose biggest demons are internal. Here, he broods and soul-searches as a man willing to do whatever it takes to find his beloved porcine pal, punish everyone involved in her kidnapping and come to terms with his longstanding, spirit-crushing woes. And, it's a measured gem of a portrayal, and a versatile, touching, deeply empathetic and haunting one that's up there with his finest ever. Sarnoski keeps things sparse when Pig begins; for the poetically shot film and its determined protagonist, less is always more. Rob Feld (Cage) lives a stripped-back existence in a cabin in the woods, with just his cherished truffle pig for company — plus occasional visits from Amir (Alex Wolff, Hereditary), the restaurant supplier who buys the highly sought-after wares Rob and his swine forage for on their walks through the trees. He's taken this life by choice, after the kind of heartbreak that stops him from listening to tapes of the woman he loved. But then Rob's pig is abducted in the dark of the night, turning him into a man on a mission. As the swine's distressed squeals echo in his head, Rob stalks towards Portland to get her back. He has an idea of where to look, but he needs Amir to chauffeur him around the city — and Pig is at its finest when its two main characters are together, unpacking what it means to navigate tragedy, fear, loss, regret, uncertainty, an uncaring world and a complicated industry. Read our full review. LITTLE JOE Pipes blow gently. The camera swirls. Rows of plants fill the screen. Some are leafy as they reach for the sky; others are mere stems topped with closed buds. Both types of vegetation are lined up in boxes in an austere-looking laboratory greenhouse — and soon another shoot of green appears among them. Plant breeder Alice (Cruella's Emily Beecham, who won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award for her work here) is cloaked in a lab coat far paler than any plant, but the symbolism is immediately evident. Audiences don't know it yet, but her shock of cropped red hair resembles the crimson flowers that'll blossom in her genetically engineered new type of flora, too. "The aim has been to create a plant with a scent that makes its owner happy," she tells a small audience, hailing the virtues of a species that's been designed to make its owners love it like it was their own child. So starts Little Joe, which shares its name with the vegetation in question — a "mood-lifting, anti-depressant, happy plant," Alice's boss (David Wilmot, Calm with Horses) boasts. She's borrowed her own teenage son's (Kit Connor, Rocketman) moniker for her new baby, although she gives it more attention than her flesh-and-blood offspring, especially with the push to get it to market speeding up. The clinical gaze favoured by Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner (Amour fou) is telling, though. The eerie tone to the feature's Japanese-style, flute- and percussion-heavy score sets an uneasy mood as well. Making her first English-language feature, Hausner helms a disquieting and anxious sci-fi/horror masterwork. Like many movies in the genre, this is a film about possibilities and consequences, creation and its costs, and happiness and its sacrifices — and about both daring to challenge and dutifully abiding by conformity — and yet it's always its own beast. Read our full review. RIDERS OF JUSTICE Few things will ever be better than seeing Mads Mikkelsen get day drunk and dance around while swigging champagne in an Oscar-winning movie, which is one fantastic film experience that 2021 has delivered. But the always-watchable actor is equally magnetic and exceptional in Riders of Justice, a revenge-driven Danish comedy that's all about tackling your problems in a different and far less boozy fashion. In both features, he plays the type of man unlikely to express his feelings. Here, he's a dedicated solider who's more often away than home. Beneath his close-cropped hair and steely, bristly beard, he's stern, sullen and stoic, not to mention hot-tempered when he does betray what's bubbling inside, and he outwardly expects the same of everyone around him — including when a a train explosion taints his character, Markus, with tragedy, leaving him the sole parent to traumatised teenager Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Pagten). With a name that sounds like one of the many by-the-numbers action flicks Liam Neeson has starred in since Taken, Riders of Justice initially appears as if it'll take its no-nonsense central figure to an obvious place, and yet this ambitious, astute and entertaining movie both does and doesn't. When Markus returns home from Afghanistan, Riders of Justice's writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken) and screenwriter Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) send statistician Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, The Keeper of Lost Causes), his colleague Lennart (Lars Brygmann, The Professor and the Madman) and the computer-savvy Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro, The Kingdom) knocking at the grieving family's door — a trio of stereotypically studious outsiders to his stony-faced military man who come uttering a theory he seizes upon. Narratives about seeking justice often ride the expected rails on autopilot, getting from start to finish on the standard vengeance template's inherent momentum; however, this layered gem questions and subverts every usual cliche, convention and motif along the way, including by putting its characters first. Read our full review. LAMB Staring into the soul of a woman not just yearning for her own modest slice of happiness, but willing to do whatever it takes to get it — and starring Noomi Rapace (The Secrets We Keep) in what might be her best role yet, and best performance — Lamb is all animal at first. In this Icelandic blend of folk-horror thrills, relationship dramas and even deadpan comedy, something rumbles in the movie's misty, mountainside farm setting, spooking the horses. In the sheep barn, where cinematographer Eli Arenson (Hospitality) swaps arresting landscape for a ewe's-eye view, the mood is tense and restless as well. Making his feature debut, filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson doesn't overplay his hand early. As entrancing as the movie's visuals prove in all their disquieting stillness, he keeps the film cautious about what's scaring the livestock. But Lamb's expert sound design offers a masterclass in evoking unease from its very first noise, and makes it plain that all that eeriness, anxiety and dripping distress has an unnerving — and tangible — source. This enticing, surreal and starkly unsettling is as human as it is ovine, though, as it unleashes an intense and absurdist pastoral symphony of dread and hope, bleakness and sweetness, and terror and love. The farm belongs to Rapace's Maria and her partner Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason, A White, White Day), who've thrown themselves into its routines after losing a child. They're a couple that let their taciturn faces do the talking, including with each other, but neither hides their delight when one ewe gives birth to a hybrid they name Ada. Doting and beaming, they take the sheep-child into their home as their own. Its woolly mother stands staring and baa-ing outside their kitchen window, but they're both content in of their newfound domestic happiness. When Ingvar's ex-pop star brother Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) arrives unexpectedly, they don't even dream of hiding their new family idyll — even as he's initially shocked and hardly approving. Read our full review. SAINT MAUD If humanity ever managed to cure or circumvent death — or even just stop despairing about our own mortality — the horror genre would feel the difference. Lives are frequently in peril in films that are meant to spook and frighten. Fears of dying underscore everything from serial killer thrillers and body horror flicks to stories of zombies, ghosts and vampires, too. Indeed, if a scary movie isn't pondering the fact that our days are finite, it's often contemplating our easily damaged and destroyed anatomy. Or, it's recognising that our darkest urges can bring about brutal repercussions, or noting that the desperation to avoid our expiration dates can even spark our demise. Accordingly, Saint Maud's obsession with death isn't a rarity in an ever-growing genre that routinely serves it up, muses on it and makes audiences do the same whether they always realise it or not. In an immensely crowded realm, this striking, instantly unsettling feature debut by British writer/director Rose Glass definitely stands out, though. Bumps, jumps, shocks and scares come in all manner of shapes and sizes, as do worries and anxieties about the end that awaits us all. In Saint Maud, they're a matter of faith. The eponymous in-home nurse (Dracula and His Dark Materials' Morfydd Clark) has it. She has enough to share, actually, which she's keen to do daily. Maud is devoted to three things: Christianity, helping those in her care physically and saving them spiritually. Alas, her latest cancer-stricken patient doesn't hold the same convictions, or appreciate them. Amanda (Jennifer Ehle, Vox Lux) isn't fond of Maud's fixation on her salvation or her strict judgements about her lifestyle. She knows her time is waning, her body is failing and that she needs Maud's help, but the celebrated ex-dancer and choreographer does not want to go gently or faithfully in that good night. Instead, she'd much prefer the solace that sex and alcohol brings over her palliative care nurse's intensely devout zeal. Read our full review. THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS In a sparse small town — with the film shot in Kanosh, Utah — the separated-and-unhappy-about-it David (Clayne Crawford, Rectify) attempts to adjust to living with his ailing widower father (Bruce Graham, Forty Years From Yesterday). His wife Niki (Sepideh Moafi, The L Word: Generation Q) remains in their home with their four children, as they've agreed while they take a break to work through their problems. David isn't coping, though, a fact that's apparent long before his teenage daughter Jess (Avery Pizzuto, We Fall Down) gets angry because she thinks he isn't fighting hard enough to save their family. He's trying, but as Crawford conveys in a brooding but nervy performance — and as writer/director/editor Robert Machoian (When She Runs) and cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiménez (Immanence) can't stop looking at in lengthy and patient takes — he can't quite adapt to the idea of losing everything he knows. There's an element of Scenes From a Marriage at play here, although The Killing of Two Lovers pre-dates this year's remake — and so much of the feeling in this gorgeously shot movie comes from its imagery. When it's hard to look away from such rich and enticing visuals, it's impossible not to spot and soak in everything they depict. Each frame is postcard-perfect, not that those pieces of cardboard ever capture such everyday sights, but wide vistas and the snowy mountains hovering in the background are just the beginning. With its long takes, The Killing of Two Lovers forces its audience to glean the naturalistic lighting that never casts David and Niki's hometown in either a warm glow or grim glower. Repeated images of David alone, especially in his car, also leave a firm impression of a man moving and solo. Read our full review. HERSELF Survivalist films typically pit humans against the elements, nature or space, testing a character's endurance when they're cast adrift in the ocean (as in Kon-Tiki and All Is Lost), enduring unwelcoming expanses (Into the Wild, Arctic), faced with animal predators (The Grey, Crawl) or navigating the heavens (Gravity, The Martian). Herself doesn't tick any of those boxes, but it still fits the genre — because what else is a movie about a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage, care for her two young daughters alone and build a safe future if not a story of survival? In Dublin, Sandra (Spider-Man: Far From Home's Claire Dunne, who also co-wrote the feature's screenplay) is unhappily married to Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson, Vikings), and has the bruises to prove it. When he finds money hidden in her car, a badly fractured hand becomes the latest marker of their domestic horror. Sandra leaves, children Molly (Molly McCann, Vivarium) and Emma (debutant Ruby Rose O'Hara) in tow, but forging a path forward proves complicated at every turn. As a writer (with What Richard Did's Malcolm Campbell), Dunne doesn't make easy choices. Her narrative doesn't follow a straightforward path, either. Herself's script highlights the devastating complexities that surround Sandra, but avoids plotting the obvious course — because more hopeful and more grim moments are always in everyone's futures, even when it seems that worse surely can't come. Stress, resilience, tender gestures and uncaring powers-that-be are all a part of this story. So is interrogating a system that's quick to push back at victims in the name of family, and the impact upon children who grow up in a household blighted by domestic violence. Herself fleshes out this reality, but always hurtles forward, because that's all that Sandra can do. Worlds away from the two other features on her resume — Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady — director Phyllida Lloyd helms an intense, compassionate but still clear-eyed drama without any cloying sentiment, but still rich in hope and tenacity. Read our full review. THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS Northern Italy's woods are abundant with truffles, especially the tuber magnatum — otherwise known as the white variety. But before these highly sought-after morsels can make their way into kitchens, onto plates, and into many a willing and eager mouth, someone has to spend their time and expend their energy finding the edible fungus. Accordingly, The Truffle Hunters introduces viewers to multiple elderly men and their adorable dogs who all do just that, with their lives revolving around roving the forest and searching out the prized food. It might sound like a relaxed pursuit — as walking through trees with your pet pooch to fill your pockets with a delicacy is bound to — but it's a highly competitive endeavour, and one that the documentary's central figures are intensely passionate about. Charting four men's stories — tales that involve canine partners, cantankerous veterans and sneaking out at night to search with a torch in hand, lest one truffle hunter be caught by his wife — directors Michael Dweck (The Last Race) and Gregory Kershaw (cinematographer on The Last Race, and also on this) survey a wealth of details. The titular subjects try care for their dogs, argue with others encroaching on their turf, type missives about how the world has changed and, in one case, keep absconding by moonlight. Dweck and Kershaw aren't above using puppy cam as well, and it's both a joy and a thrill, as well as emblematic of the film's fondness for flavour and character above all else. The Truffle Hunters is a leisurely movie that's content to chronicle its subjects' easy-going lives, lean into their eccentricities and survey their lush surroundings — and, even clocking in at just 84 minutes, it's an unhurried gem of a film — however, it's also carefully compiled. Read our full review. MY ZOE Rare is the film that nods overtly to more than a few of its influences, yet still manages to inhabit its own niche and no one else's. My Zoe is one of those movies. Its first half bears much in common with 2017's exceptional French drama Custody, while its second half takes its cues from the greatest horror novel ever written, aka Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That combination works astonishing (and almost disarmingly) well, and nothing here every feels like a mere clone of better material. Indeed, writer/director/star Julie Delpy (Looking for Jimmy, 2 Days in Paris, The Countess, Skylab, 2 Days in New York and Lolo) blends relationship dramas, a tragedy and a science fiction-tinged exploration of loss into a gripping and empathetic film that ponders how grief leads to drastic reactions, how science can let humans play god in increasingly bold and consequential manners, and how we're hardwired to use the latter to work through the former, as well as our fears of mortality. In the movie's opening section, Berlin-based geneticist Isabelle (Delpy, Wiener-Dog) juggles the struggles of co-parenting with her ex James (Richard Armitage, The Lodge). They both dote on seven-year-old Zoe (Sophia Ally, The Current War), but they also argue incessantly — largely due to James' dour behaviour, cruel demeanour and ludicrous demands. By the time that Isabelle calls him "just an awful human being" in one of their arguments, the audience is already on her side. They settle their custody dispute, but the bickering doesn't subside when Zoe is found unconscious and requires hospitalisation. Eventually, though, Isabelle has another dilemma to navigate, involving a desperate ploy to get back what she's lost, a risk-taking doctor (Daniel Brühl, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) in Moscow and an option his own wife (Gemma Arteton, Summerland) warns against. Read our full review. FANNY LYE DELIVER'D Even on a sunny day, a storm can darken a dazzling blue sky, cracking through that gorgeous facade with the weather's version of stress and woe. That's the sensation that emanates from Fanny Lye Deliver'd's early shots, which show a picturesque Shropshire farm shrouded in mist so scenic that the entire image looks like it could've been rendered in watercolours — back in 1657, too, when the movie is set. But little is perfect behind this bucolic beauty, and that's true even before two strangers unsettle the household. As they prepare to attend church on an otherwise ordinary Sunday, Fanny Lye (Maxine Peake, Peterloo) is used to being treated with disdain by her Puritan husband John Lye (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), including in front of their son Arthur (Zak Adams, Alice Through the Looking Glass). But then young lovers Thomas Ashbury (Freddie Fox, The Pursuit of Love) and Rebecca Henshaw (Tanya Reynolds, Emma) sneak their way into the Lye home, and nothing is the same again. Fanny Lye Deliver'd isn't writer/director Thomas Clay's first feature or even his second, but it's made with a distinctive vision. Every visible detail, meticulous performance, probing line and weighty rumination upon the subjugation of women and the ills enforced in faith's name — here, during Oliver Cromwell's reign over Britain following the English Civil War — is that fastidious and intoxicating, even when depicting brutality. Clay's picture could easily sit in the mud, folklore and farmland anxiety with The Witch, a film that similarly steps into a god-fearing community where the hatred of women ascending beyond the meagre station allotted them has infected every thought and action. It plays like a cousin to that similarly entrancing and potent movie, however, rather than a sibling. Fanny Lye Deliver'd also benefits from Peake's ferocious and arresting work in the eponymous role, in what proves a stunning survivalist film about women attempting to persist amidst violence and persecution. Read our full review. FIRST LOVE When boxer Leo (Masataka Kubota, Diner) receives news that no one wants to hear — he has a brain tumour, it's inoperable and he doesn't have much time left — he takes it as gloomily as anyone would. But when he subsequently crosses paths with sex worker Monica (Sakurako Konishi, Colorless), his evening takes another unexpected turn. She's fleeing the yakuza gangsters who forced her into prostitution, including one particularly scheming underling (Sometani, Detective Chinatown 3) who plans to use her in a ploy with a crooked cop (Seiyô Uchino, 13 Assassins) to eradicate a Chinese triad gang. They start off as strangers, but Leo swiftly becomes Monica's only friend amidst the bloody mayhem. Iconic Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike has more than 100 movies to his name, shows zero signs of stopping and is clearly doing something he knows he adores (and that he's proven he's great at) with First Love. That doesn't make the prolific Audition, Ichi the Killer and Yakuza Apocalypse director's latest any less inventive, dynamic, enjoyable or brilliant, though. Here, pulp violence, a twisty crime tale and the Japanese auteur's gonzo energy all combine in a Tokyo-set noir-thriller, which ripples with Miike's distinctive brand of magic again and again — including in the movie's blending of gleefully cartoonish mania with a poignant outsiders-against-the-world narrative, and in everything from its jazz-rock score to its immaculately executed hardware store showdown as well. The inimitable talent can never be accused of painting by numbers, with everything here fitting and working as it should. Yes, he's both found and embraced his wavelength. Read our full review.
Luxe basement bar and eatery The George On Collins has scored a makeover and a brand new menu, as it moves into the next phase of its life. The sprawling basement space, designed Hecker Guthrie (responsible for Ugly Duckling, Ruyi and Longrain, amongst others), now features a collection of revamped private spaces, geared towards upscale celebrations with the crew. Make yourself at home in The Attic, tucked upstairs and behind a curtain; enjoy an intimate celebration in The Den; or settle into a feast in the new-look private dining room, The Rumpus. The glass-fronted Cellar, with views across the rest of the venue, has room for a up to 220. Alongside these sleek new additions to the space, The George has also treated its food offering to a complete overhaul, now plating up vibrant, mod-Vietnamese fare for lunch, dinner and late-night sessions alike. The three new menus are the vision of MasterChef Australia 2018 contestant Khanh Ong, and have been brought to life by Head Chef Quim Hernandez. While they're anchored by traditional flavours and techniques, there is still plenty of creativity. Head in for plates like glass dumplings with prawns, pork and heirloom carrots ($12), slow-cooked lamb shoulder matched with coriander sauce ($36), and a half rooster ($32) done with a ginger and fish sauce caramel. The dessert situation proves equally impressive — starring creations like Khanh's 'drunk' sticky date pudding ($14) with whisky caramel and vanilla — as does the drinks list, which Khanh has also had a hand in. Vietnamese flavours make themselves known throughout the cocktails, which include the lemongrass and chilli infused Hot In Ha Noi ($22) and the guava- and coconut-heavy One Night in Saigon ($22).
Victor Liong, the man behind CBD sensation Lee Ho Fook, is opening a new chapter. And more importantly a new restaurant. The name is SilkSpoon, after the famous Silk Road trading route, and Liong has already said he'll be drawing on a broader culinary map than Lee Ho Fook's elegant, 'new style' Australian-Chinese. The idea is to trace food culture along the old Silk Road — then serve that trek on a plate. At the moment, SilkSpoon is a construction site. It'll be part of the new-look 500 Bourke St precinct, along with flagship venues Rosa's Canteen and Movida Aqui, when the building opens later this year following an eye-watering $150m facelift. [caption id="attachment_786625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Image: Lee Ho Fook Yum Cha, 2020[/caption] Still, there's a lot to get excited about. Lee Ho Fook has been around so long, people forget how revolutionary it really was, all those years ago when it opened in Collingwood. It was a glorious mash-up of Liong's culinary journey: Chinese tradition, French techniques, Japanese and Australian ingredients, all rolled into one. And it helped crystalise the potential of that amorphous category known as 'Australian Chinese'. SilkSpoon promises to be more laid back than its fine-dining sibling, however. Liong has already flagged he'll be focusing on casual dining, light meals and grower vegetables. Lee Ho Fook is where you go for an occasion. SilkSpoon is where you go for lunch, preferably every week. [caption id="attachment_799724" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Victor Liong as part of the Piccolina Project, 2021[/caption] "SilkSpoon is all about social gathering in a welcoming atmosphere. We're passionate about providing a vibrant space for people to catch up, whether that's for work or leisure," Liong says. "We're noticing that people in the city are preferring earlier, more casual dinners after work, and there's a regular, steady buzz, from mid-morning through to early evening." Buzz is the right word. And when you think about what Liong achieved with his last restaurant, the sky's the limit for SilkSpoon. We'll be watching this one very closely, so stay tuned for more information later in the year. SilkSpoon is set to open at 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne, sometime early in 2024. We'll keep you updated as more information drops. Images: supplied.
For one morning, on what might be the only occasion that Sydneysiders can use this phrase and mean it literally, the Vengabus is coming. Getting everybody jumping is the Uber Pride Ride, a party bus that's hitting the Harbour City for Sydney WorldPride, and running across three weekends — but only one special trip will feature Vengaboys. The Dutch pop group are in Australia for the latest So Pop tour, which plays Sydney on Thursday, February 16. That morning, the band will take a tour of the city with a lucky busload of folks, in a VIP experience that you'll have to keep an eye on Uber's Instagram account to win tickets to. If you want to call the Uber Pride Ride the Vengabus for the rest of its run — from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26 and Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 5, operating from 6.30–10pm daily — then that's up to you. But, whether you're a Sydney local or a visitor hitting the city just for WorldPride's first-ever stint Down Under, you'll have company in the form of a heap of drag queen stars. Each night's trips will feature different talents busting out onboard activities — so you might be in for a ride filled with drag bingo, karaoke or an inner-city disco on wheels with Jojo Zaho, Carla From Bankstown, Coco Jumbo, Cassandra Queen, Karen From Finance, Annie Mation and more. The Uber Pride Ride is also hosting educational talks from First Nations LGBQTIA+SB advocacy organisation Black Rainbow. Like to party on the way to the party? This is the hop-on-hop-off — and free — bus for you. It'll take an hour-long City Circle loop, departing at 6.30pm, 7.45pm and 9pm each evening, starting at Australian Museum on William Street. From there, it'll head to St James Station, Powerhouse Museum, Central Station, Albion Street in Surry Hills, Flinders Street in Darlinghurst, Oxford Street in Paddington, then via Craigend and William streets back to the beginning. Like free Uber Pool trips as well? On one weekend, from 12–10pm Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, the rideshare company is also doing $100 off trips. The Uber Pride Ride will take to the Sydney CBD's streets from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26 and Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 5, running from 6.30–10pm daily, with a special one-off Vengaboys-hosted ride on the morning of Thursday, February 16. The Uber Pool Pride Offer runs from 12–10pm Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, offering $100 off trip. For more information, head to the Uber website.
Order up: The Bear's third season is about to be served. And if you're wondering what's in store when the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series returns this winter, a just-dropped first teaser trailer is here to whet your appetite. The main focus of the debut sneak peek: Carmy (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw) in the kitchen. The Bear's namesake restaurant is now open in season three, after Carmy, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings) and the crew transformed their beef-slinging eatery (where season one's action took place) into a fine-diner (with that process fuelling season two). But staying operational is still a struggle, with the new batch of episodes set to chart Carmy's quest for culinary perfection, the reality of levelling up the business, and the stresses that both it and being in the restaurant trade in general bring. Also new: a release date for The Bear's third season. In America and Down under, the show will arrive on Thursday, June 27. In the past, there's always been a wait for Aussie and NZ viewers — season one hit in June in America, then in August in Australia; with season two, US viewers still had a June date, while Aussies and New Zealanders had to wait till July — but thankfully that isn't the case this time. Comfort food and winter do go hand in hand, after all — and since 2022, so have chaotic culinary dramedies and the frostiest time of the year Down Under. It was two years back that The Bear debuted to become one of the best new shows on television. In 2023, it then became one of the best returning shows on TV that year. The Bear was renewed for season three in November 2023 to the surprise of no one, but to the joyous shouts of "yes chef!" from everyone. Also, even though that third season hasn't yet dropped, it looks as if the show has been renewed for its fourth season already as well. If you've missed The Bear so far, its first season jumped into the mayhem when White's Carmy took over the diner after his brother's (Jon Bernthal, We Own This City) death. Before returning home, the chef's resume featured Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. Then, in season two, Carmy worked towards turning the space into an upscale addition to his hometown's dining scene, with help from the restaurant's trusty team — including a roster of talent also spans Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar, plus Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment), Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) and IRL chef Matty Matheson among the other staff. Check out the first trailer for The Bear season three below: The Bear streams via Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand, with season three arriving on Thursday, June 27. Read our review of season one and review of season two. Images: Chuck Hodes/FX.
Cicciolina is a veteran, but she's still delivering the goods. No, we're not talking about the Hungarian-Italian porn star and politician — we're referring to the 22-year-old Italian restaurant on Acland Street. Having been open for so long, Ciccolina is some what of a fixture on the St Kilda street. It must be something about the balmy European vibe that keeps customers crawling back. The food is simple yet innovative, and follows the Italian culinary philosophy: focus on a few key, high quality ingredients. Cicciolina's waitstaff are their own comedy show, oozing with wit and quirkiness. As you waltz in, they instantly greet you with a smile, sometimes a wink and often a joke. Regardless of where you are seated, clusters of artworks mounted on whitewashed brick walls peer over your shoulder, as if they're intrigued by what you are going to order. Near the entrance, a 3x3 chalkboard holds the specials. Kick things off with a shucked oyster dressed in a shallot and chardonnay vinaigrette ($4). It's virtually impossible to choose wrong if you go down the pasta path — especially if that choice is the smoked salmon linguini with braised leek ($30.50). Usually there's ragu pasta dish on special. If so, order it. Immediately. Leaving before having dessert? Good one — now, sit back down. Ordering the créme brûlée with blood plum compote ($16.50) will be one of the wisest food decisions you ever make. Cicciolina has a 150 bottle wine list, with over 20 options available by the glass. The restaurant houses everything from an Ottelia Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($13 glass, $32 bottle) to a Clic Pinot Grigio from Friuli-Venezia, Italy ($12 glass, $30 bottle). If you're not in a grape mood, perhaps try a Must-Have Martini: chilli-infused vodka with ginger liqueur, Liquor 43, apple juice and mint. All martinis and cocktails stand at $18.50. During dinnertime, it can be tricky getting a table — and the restaurant doesn't take bookings. If you want something more low key, slide into the restaurant's back bar. On Monday nights, you can score a beer and bolognaise for $20. Cicciolina is a people-pleaser. Whether you take a friend, your mum, or a date, they'll all walk out happy.
It may get passed over for some of its more glamorous neighbouring towns on the Mornington Peninsula, but Cape Schanck is a great spot to check out for your next road trip. The charming seaside region is located at the southernmost point of the Peninsula and is home to great food, excellent wine, idyllic coastal scenery and even a cool old-timey lighthouse, making it a perfect base from which to access all the wonders of the region. We've teamed up with our Victorian road trip partner RACV to bring you a selection of incredible ways to experience Cape Schanck and its surrounds. And don't forget: if you're planning on having a drink, make sure there's a designated driver to keep you safe on your travels. [caption id="attachment_845440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Tarasiuk, Visit Victoria[/caption] VISIT THE CAPE SCHANCK LIGHTHOUSE RESERVE That old-timey lighthouse we mentioned? Well, it's one of the main landmarks of this part of the Peninsula, so if you're visiting make it an essential stop. While you might not find RPatz and Willem Dafoe in a brain-bending psychological thriller inside, there's plenty of rich history to be discovered. The dressed limestone and sandstone structure that was built in 1859 still has its original mechanisms in place so it's a bone fide architectural relic. Learn more about its significance and history at the on-site museum, then stick around for a stroll of the grounds — the lighthouse is situated at the edge of a stunning national park full of walking tracks, breathtaking coastal views and endemic plants. [caption id="attachment_845442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] WALK THE BUSHRANGERS BAY TRACK Bushrangers Bay is a quiet, secluded beach that offers a contrasting beauty to the brooding, craggy headlands, thick banksia groves that envelope it and the wild crashing waves that break on the shores. Due to the latter, swimming is strongly discouraged here, but the stunning walk and bewitching scenery more than make up for that. There are two walking tracks that you can take to access the wild beauty of the bay, either from the Cape Schanck car park, or the Boneo car park along Main Creek, both of which are less than three kilometres long. [caption id="attachment_845455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] RECHARGE AT THE PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS All that walking got you feeling the need to relax? Then make a beeline to the award-winning, naturally forming Peninsula Hot Springs. With its series of pools and private baths filled with natural geothermal mineral waters, this renowned wellness centre has everything you need to relax and recharge, right down to the idyllic background of gently rolling green gardens. Dining and accommodation options are also available if you find yourself wanting to extend your stay — and you might just want to, thanks to the retreat's excellent range of spa and wellness treatments. [caption id="attachment_760242" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fred Laures[/caption] SAMPLE LOCAL PINOT AT NAZAARAY ESTATE The Mornington Peninsula happens to be home to one of Victoria's best wine regions, with the cooler climate offering and especially perfect conditions to nurture pinot noir varietals. The picturesque Nazaaray Estate, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Param and Nirmal Ghumman since 1991, is the place for cracking drop of pinot, with a number of vintages and varieties to sample (with lovingly prepared Indian tasting plates to match) at the charming cellar door. Honourable mention must also be given to the estate's chardonnay which blends bright fruit notes with subtle but complex oakiness. [caption id="attachment_845444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Derek Ross, Visit Victoria[/caption] PLAY A PICTURESQUE ROUND OF GOLF AT THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB Golfer? Be sure to check out The National Golf Club, with scenery so heavenly you might just forget how bad your short game is. The grounds here encompass four world-class courses (including one designed by Greg Norman), with the sprawling greens and fairways punctuated with thickets of local foliage which give way to awe-inspiring coastal views. There's only one catch: unless you're a member, Victorian visitors need to be invited by a current member if they wish to play (interstate and overseas members of other clubs can book via the website). After a turn around the course, though, you'll more than likely be looking to apply for your own membership. EXPLORE THE PENINSULA'S STELLAR DINING SCENE It's not just wine that the Peninsula does well — the food in this part of Victoria is some of the best in the state. Start your day at bona fide McCrae institution Merchant & Maker, an award-winning cafe that features an in-house roaster to prepare ethically sourced, sustainable beans from sibling store Commonfolk Coffee. Pair your brew with a selection from the stellar brunch menu, which includes dishes like the Porky Pork Benny with bacon coffee jam, seeded mustard hollandaise, green apple and pickled fennel, a vegetarian okonomiyaki or a dark chocolate and coconut panna cotta. The Peninsula is also home to a number of terrific fine diners. In Flinders, Moke is all about super-fresh, local and seasonal produce creatively served up in a relaxed setting. The menu changes weekly, sometimes even daily, depending on the spark of inspiration that might seize head chef Michael Cole when scouting for the freshest produce. You can pair your tasting menu with a drop from the impressive wine program curated by Redhill Wine Collective, or a sturdy selection of local beers and spirits. The nearby Donna Maria, as the name might suggest, serves up cleverly contemporary Italian in a stylishly laidback setting. Dishes here — which include beef carpaccio with black garlic aioli and charred eggplant with a raisin and oregano braise, pine nuts and ricotta — are complemented by a foolproof wine list, divided into sections with names like 'chardonnay would go well with what we're eating' and 'I love medium bodied reds like valpolicella'. [caption id="attachment_845445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Tarasiuk, Visit Victoria[/caption] CHECK OUT SOME LESSER-KNOWN BEACHES As the annual summer influx of city-dwellers attests to vividly, the Mornington Peninsula is home to some of the best (and most easily accessible) beaches in Victoria. Our tip: make a pitstop at one of the more expansive (and far less crowded) beaches in the region. With its nearly four-kilometre stretch of idyllic white sand and calm, crystal-clear waters, Capel Sound, set between Rosebud and Rye, is perfect for a relaxing dip against the backdrop of colourful beach boxes. Ocean beach Gunnamatta, meanwhile, is far more exposed and boasts deep blue cascading waves (with an average height of nearly two metres) perfect for surfing. Still ocean-side, Rye Ocean Beach is another favourite for experienced wave riders, and features natural sand dunes, walking tracks and opportunities to encounter native wildlife. [caption id="attachment_845448" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mattyv.au (Flickr)[/caption] SEE THE NATURAL WORLD AT ITS FINEST AT THE DRAGON'S HEAD AND FLINDERS BLOWHOLE While The Dragon's Head sounds like a brilliant name for a pub, the natural phenomenon is arguably more impressive. The seaside formation is named for what it resembles: a jagged pile of rocks rearing out of the sea atop a shelf that has been mostly worn away, in the shape of, you guessed it, a dragon's head. Completely naturally formed, this spot is just one of many fascinating formations that call Number 16 Beach home — though this one looks particularly impressive as the white waves crash around it. So if you're after a great photo op — or if you've always fancied yourself a Daenerys Targaryen type — then this is a must-visit. Similarly impressive is Flinders Blowhole (which, we admit, would also make quite a good pub name). This geyser, located at the end of a winding wooden boardwalk, puts on a show when the sea shoots up through it as the waves strike the headland. The area also home to some amazing birdlife — on certain days, you may be able to catch glimpses of mighty sea eagles soaring majestically through the skies. UNWIND IN STYLE AT RACV CAPE SCHANCK RESORT With its easy access to and from the city, the Mornington Peninsula is a day-trip favourite for many a Melburnian. But with so much to do, it's well worth a full weekend. Rest up in style at RACV Cape Schanck Resort, a luxurious retreat that's home to a spa, golf course and a number of top quality restaurants and bars championing regional produce. It's right in the heart of Cape Schanck, too, making it the ideal location from which to set off on your adventures. Planning a road trip? Get RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance before you head off. Top images: Visit Victoria
