Was The Queen's Gambit on repeat in your Netflix queue? Were you engrossed in the chess scandals of 2022? Well, get ready to immerse yourself in a world of monochromatism at the Blanc Noir festival, coming to Chadstone – The Fashion Capital. Adding to Chadstone's retail, dining and entertainment offerings — including its new precinct The Social Quarter — Blanc Noir presents yet another reason to visit the shopping mecca. Running for a limited time only, Blanc Noir will feature cabaret acts, magic, street theatre and interactive performances. Take a stroll through the black and white precinct to partake in a game of giant chess — and be in with a chance to win a Chadstone gift card — or attend the interactive shows created exclusively for Chadstone. Two after-dark performances will be hosted on Fridays and Saturdays: The Curious Game and Chess Cabaret. The Curious Game promises an imaginative and humorous production where the world of fairy tales and chess collide. You'll find The Curious Game at 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Chess Cabaret will showcase dynamic physical theatre, magic and circus acts that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has showings at 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Keen to keep your kids entertained during the school holidays? Chadstone is hosting a free school holiday program called Chess Mates as part of Blanc Noir. It features chess-inspired arts and crafts, whimsical performances, games and dance. There are sessions at 10am, 12pm and 2pm daily with an extra class at 4.00pm on Thursdays and Sundays. So whether you're looking for something different, something for your kids during the school holidays or an energetic and exciting circus act, put Blanc Noir in your diaries. Blanc Noir at Chadstone – The Fashion Capital runs from Saturday, April 8 until Sunday, April 23. For further details on the events in the schedule, head to the Chadstone website.
Crack open a bottle of wine, get comfy and prepare for a twisty binge — and to wrap up a series that's always loved vino, chaos, murder cover-ups, unpacking grief and finding solace in complicated friendships. For the third and last time, Dead to Me is heading to Netflix, with the Christina Applegate (Bad Moms 2), Linda Cardellini (Hawkeye) and James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)-starring hit ending with this upcoming season. Since 2019, the show has contemplated farewells — starting with a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the mourning-fuelled dark comedy has weaved its way through plenty of mess and mayhem from there, including via the unlikely camaraderie at its centre; however, the fact that everything comes to a conclusion sooner or later has always hung over the show. When it returns for season three on Thursday, November 17, that notion will remain given that this is Dead to Me's big goodbye. Back in 2020, after the second season aired, it was revealed that the show would finish after a third and final run. So, get ready for your last swim through its murders, mysteries and cover-ups. The premise, if you missed Dead to Me when it premiered three years back: two women meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily existence. But they find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business, and with more than a few connections they didn't both realise. Applegate plays Jen Harding, whose husband has just died, while Cardellini's Judy Hale is the positive-thinking free spirit that breezes into her life. They initially cross paths at a grief counselling session, sparking a definite odd-couple situation — which has evolved to feature secrets, lies, complications and cliffhangers galore across the show's two seasons thus far. Season two ended with a big car crash, in fact, which sets the scene for an eventful third go-around. In both the newly dropped full trailer for season three, the cops and the feds are circling, corpses are causing trouble and the show's two protagonists even come up with outlaw names: Bitch Cassidy and Judy Five Fingers. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, Dead to Me marked Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night when it debuted. For Cardellini, it saw a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. Check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's third season below: Dead to Me's third season will hit Netflix on Thursday, November 17. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
A young woman sheltered in the most literal sense there is, living her entire life in Vault 33, one of the subterranean facilities where humanity endeavours to start anew. A TV and movie star famed for his roles in westerns, then entertaining kids at birthday parties, then still alive but irradiated 219 years after the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. An aspiring soldier who has never known anything but a devastated world, clinging to hopes of progression through the military. All three walk into the wasteland in Fallout, the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the gaming series that first arrived in 1997, as hits streaming queues on Thursday, April 11 Down Under. All three cross paths in an attempt to do all that anyone can in a post-apocalyptic hellscape: survive. So goes Prime Video's leap into a world that's had millions mashing buttons through not only the OG game, but also three released sequels — a fourth is on the way — plus seven spinoffs. Even with Westworld' Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy as executive producers, working with Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (The Office, Silicon Valley) as showrunners and the series' creators, giving Fallout the live-action treatment is a massive and ambitious task. But where 2023 had The Last of Us, 2024 now has this; both are big-name dystopian titles that earned legions of devotees through gaming, and both are excellent in gripping and immersive fashion (and while building worlds meticulously) at making the big-budget, high-profile, star-led move to television. Fallout's vision of one of the bleakest potential futures splits its focus between Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets), who has no concept of how humanity can exist on the surface when the show kicks off; Cooper Howard aka bounty hunter The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, I'm a Virgo), the screen gunslinger who saw the bombs fall and now wields weapons IRL; and Maximus (Aaron Moten, Emancipation), a trainee for the Brotherhood of Steel, which is committed to restoring order by throwing around its might (and using robotic armour). The show's lead casting is gleaming, to the point that imagining anyone but this trio of actors as Lucy, Howard-slash-The Ghoul and Maximus is impossible. Where else has Walton's resume, with its jumps between law-and-order efforts, westerns traditional and neo, and comedy — see: The Shield, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, The Hateful Eight, Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones, as a mere few examples — been leading than here? (And, next, also season three of The White Lotus.) Fallout's core threesome make each other's acquaintance — some with relief, some begrudgingly — but each character has their own agenda. Lucy, the dutiful daughter of Vault 33's Overseer Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Lucky Hank), is on a mission to restore the status quo to the only home that she's ever known. When she finds herself chasing the same object as The Ghoul and Maximus, she begins to learn the vast array of differences between being sealed off and weathering the aftermath above, though. The Ghoul's portion of the tale hops between now and then, examining the man that Howard was and who he's since become, the latter through sheer necessity. For Maximus, overcoming trauma and carving out a way forward is also his narrative. "The wasteland's got its own golden rule: thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every time," offers The Ghoul. Among those setbacks lurks a pervasive kill-or-be-killed mindset among everyone who hasn't enjoyed an underground existence wearing blue jumpsuits, frolicking in inside fields surrounded by projections of the sky and sun, and deeming marriage and procreation as the most important function there is in response to nuclear holocaust. Throw in decaying mutated people, who'll rot further into zombie territory without the right medicine staving off the effects of residing in a former blast zone, plus every manifestation of human behaviour as its worst as well. And that's before a giant radioactive salamander with a taste for flesh gets munching, adding another layer of monsters to the end of the world. Fallout's production team haven't skimped on vivid detail, bringing the series' scenario to life with lived-in production design that makes its bunkers and barren terrain alike look as if viewers could walk right into them. Nolan, crafting an alternative-history sequel to his brother Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer in a way, helped guide a similar visual experience with Westworld alongside his partner Joy. The four-season show also reached TV as an adaptation (in that case, of the 1973 film of the same name that was written and directed by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton). Also for Prime Video — but sadly renewed for a second season, then cancelled during the 2023 Hollywood strikes — The Peripheral, based on sci-fi author William Gibson's novel, achieved the same enthralling feat. The Ghoul's basic principle for persisting — as uttered in retort to the biblical golden rule about treating others as you'd like to be treated — also describes much of Fallout's narrative journey. Lucy, The Ghoul and Maximus' goals are clear; the route there, however, is anything but. Beneath the orange haze, the series brings in a stacked supporting cast spanning Moises Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Dale Dickey (Lawman: Bass Reeves) and Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), too, each adding to the 23rd century's reality. Some of their characters grasp to what they can. Some give striving for a different future their all. Some are robots. Some — from a roster of talent that also spans Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time) — try to get to the bottom of secrets, mysteries and why this life is the way it is. Fallout revels in exploring amid the ruins, and also in the vaults, which were conceived in the before times by a company called Vault-Tec. The ripples created by protecting the rich in corporate-made compounds but leaving everyone else to a dusty desert melee is one of the show's trains of thought. Pondering the choices that we're all faced with in such circumstances, the type of person that you truly want to be chief among them, is another. There's gleeful gore and a comedic tone as well, with the soundtrack's mix of 50s-era tunes with a tense score by Ramin Djawadi (3 Body Problem) capturing the vibe perfectly. A thumbs up is a loaded gesture in Fallout — but the series itself earns one. Check out the trailer for Fallout below: Fallout streams via Prime Video from Thursday, April 11, 2024. Read our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
It's his first solo headlining Australian tour since 2011. It comes after the entire world, or thereabouts, watched him on the Super Bowl stage in 2024. Of course Usher's Past Present Future dates Down Under were going to be popular, then, so much so that he's added more gigs before general tickets even go on sale. The good news: the eight-time Grammy-winner is now playing six concerts each in Melbourne in November and Sydney in December. If you're located elsewhere in Australia, however, he's still only heading to the Victorian and New South Wales capitals, so you'll need to make interstate plans. Celebrating his three-decade career is the name of the game on Usher's Aussie trip — which means going all the way back to his first single 'Call Me a Mack' from 1993, also playing tracks off of his latest 2024 album Coming Home, plus working his way through plenty in-between. With the just-announced shows, adding to the tour due to presale demand, 12 dates have been locked in for Past Present Future's Aussie stop. At Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Usher will take to the stage on Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, then again on Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 and then across Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26. In Sydney, he's playing Qudos Bank Arena on Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, then on Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 and finally on Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11. The initial US shows on the Past Present Future tour were announced just days before Usher's Super Bowl set, which worked through hits from across his lengthy career itself. From August–December 2024, the Texas-born singer made his way across North American stages, before heading to Europe (including England, France, the Netherlands and Germany) from March 2025. Also popping up on his setlist across the tour so far: 'Yeah!', of course, plus everything from 'Can U Get Wit It', 'Nice & Slow', 'U Remind Me' and 'U Got It Bad' to 'Burn', 'OMG', 'Euphoria' and more. And yes, this means that the last two Super Bowl half-time show headliners have both announced 2025 tours to Australia, with Kendrick Lamar on the bill at Spilt Milk. Usher's Past Present Future World Tour Australia 2025 Dates Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 + Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 + Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Usher is touring Australia in November and December 2025. Presales are on now, while general tickets go on sale at 12pm for Melbourne and 1pm for Sydney on Friday, May 16 — head to the tour website for more details. Images: Marcus Macdonald / Bellamy Brewster.
When 2022 began, it kicked off with famous faces stranded in the Australian outback, all thanks to local streaming platform Stan. Zac Efron did the honours in the film Gold, while Jamie Dornan lost his memory amid this sunburnt country of ours in six-part TV thriller The Tourist — and if you were a fan of the incredibly easy-to-binge latter, it's coming back again for another round of twists and turns. The BBC, which also had a hand in The Tourist, has announced that season two of the hit series is on its way. The British broadcaster also revealed that the show is its highest-rating series of 2022 so far, so stumping up for more is hardly surprising. Screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) will return; however, the BBC is keeping quiet on details otherwise, including around timing, casting and storyline. Accordingly, whether Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and Belfast's Dornan will be back, where the six new episodes will be set, what plot they'll follow and when they'll hit your streaming queue is still all under wraps. If you haven't yet watched the The Tourist's first season, it starred Dornan as a man caught up in a mystery, and unfurled its specifics in cliffhanger-heavy instalments. It also had fun with its premise — and its onslaught of twists and turns. It knew that zigzagging thrillers that work from a clearcut roadmap should make their familiar pieces feel anything but, and should take their audience along for a wild ride. And, it was well aware that that should all be the case even when largely driving down a recognisable road. Playing an Irish traveller in Australia, Dornan's character's name doesn't matter at first, when he's using the bathroom at a petrol station in the middle of nowhere. But after he's run off the road by a steamrolling long-haul truck shortly afterwards, he desperately wishes he could remember his own moniker, plus everything else about his past. Local Constable Helen Chalmers (Danielle Macdonald, French Exit) takes a shine to him anyway; however, piecing together his history is far from straightforward. His other immediate questions: why is he in the middle of Australia, why does a bomb go off in his vicinity and why is he getting calls from a man trapped in an underground barrel? A well-greased concept, a confident approach, clever plotting, a fabulous cast: they're all on offer across the first season, and they all hit their marks. Add the script's smattering of memorable, nearly Coen brothers-esque lines and, whether hurtling in a straight line or zipping quickly around unexpected corners, The Tourist was easily 2022's first must-binge show. Here's hoping the same proves true of season two — whenever it drops, and whatever it's about. Check out the trailer for first season of The Tourist below: The Tourist's first season is available to stream viaStan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand — and you can also read our full review. We'll update you with further details about the show's second season when they're announced.
Meet Australian cinema's new heroine. Myrtle 'Tilly' Dunnage (Kate Winslet) wouldn't consider herself a star at anything other than making stunning dresses, nor does she try to conquer anything but her own doubts and cruel small-town gossip. However, she's the guiding force in a film that warmly embraces local flavour, deftly navigates everything from drama to mystery to comedy, and serves up an offbeat, engaging time at the movies. Tilly is the titular figure in The Dressmaker, which charts her homecoming to outback Australia after being driven away as a child. Scandal surrounds her return, linked to the death of a boy years ago. She can't remember all the details, yet is determined to do whatever it takes to put together the pieces. Her mother, 'Mad' Molly (Judy Davis), isn't much help, and most of the townsfolk barely offer a hello. Only the handsome, lovelorn Teddy McSwiney (Liam Hemsworth) and the secretly fashion-conscious Sergeant Farrat (Hugo Weaving) give Tilly a warm welcome, until the rest of her neighbours get wind of her winning ways with a sewing machine, that is. Soon, she's transforming the drab populace of housewives and shopkeepers' daughters with Parisian designs — but, as often proves the case in such insular, one-street communities, their newfound politeness can't always be trusted. If Tilly's scenario sounds like a bit of a mixed bag of figures and genres, that's because it is. The motley crew of characters she's surrounded by includes a stern schoolteacher (Kerry Fox), mean pharmacist (Barry Otto) and more, as played by a who's who of Australian actors (Sarah Snook, Gyton Grantley, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson, Alison Whyte, Shane Bourne and Sacha Horler among them). Her story flits between romance and revenge, laughs and long-held secrets, and standoffs and tears. Happy moments are followed by sad, with the film's tone veering in several directions. Thankfully, though, none of this mishmash of elements can be seen as a bad thing. Even when it threatens not to work, it still does — and in quite striking fashion. Skipping between seemingly mismatched parts is what The Dressmaker does best; this is a movie that introduces its lead with the words "I’m back, you bastards," then later has her stop a footy match by showing up in a jaw-dropping outfit, after all. There's always a bit of quirkiness, though not too much, to balance out the darker narrative threads, or some stunning sartorial sights to brighten up the frame, or a sympathetic exchange between Tilly, Teddy and/or Molly to temper the broader strokes of comedy. Accordingly, it's a fine return to film for writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse — making her first feature since 1997’s A Thousand Acres — who brings Rosalie Ham’s 2000 novel of the same name to the screen with verve and then some. It's also a fine return to Australian shores for Winslet, who starred in the locally made Holy Smoke back in 1999, and hasn't lost her gift for our accent. That's not Winslet's only strength, nor the handsomely shot, 1951-set film's either. She perfects the mix of determined and vulnerable that Tilly radiates— though Davis, Weaving and Hemsworth do their parts, stealing scenes with one-liners, making a supporting player more than comic relief, and oozing allure and emotion respectively. Together, they make for a multifaceted bunch, as does The Dressmaker as a whole. And if the film encourages Australian audiences to see homegrown fare in a cinema — as it should — then it's a champion in its own right, alongside its shining protagonist.
When HBO's static-filled logo plays, something excellent typically follows. The voters in the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences certainly think so. In 2023, the folks who decide which shows will score some Emmys love have awarded a massive 74 nominations to three HBO series: Succession, The Last of Us and The White Lotus. TV's best case of family feud earned 27 nods, including for almost every actor who appeared in its fourth and final season in leading, supporting and guest roles. In the Best Actor category alone, Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin are going head to head. The most spectacular game-to-screen adaptation yet nabbed 24, while vacation chaos brought about 23 nominations. The other show that racked up a comparable tally? Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso with 21 nods. 2023's Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday, July 13 Australian and New Zealand time, ahead of the winners being anointed on Tuesday, September 19 — and, although a handful of series garnered the bulk of attention, plenty more got in on the action. Similarly in the running: everything from Andor, Better Call Saul, House of the Dragon and Yellowjackets (all in the drama fields) to Abbott Elementary, Barry, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and Wednesday (the comedy categories), plus the likes of Beef, Daisy Jones & the Six and Fleishman Is in Trouble (limited series) as well. Among the homegrown highlights, Australia's own Sarah Snook is in the running for Succession, as is Anna Torv for The Last of Us. Murray Bartlett has a double chance: for Best Supporting Actor in the limited series and television movie field for Welcome to Chippendales and Best Guest Actor in the dramatic category for that stunning episode of The Last of Us. And, Aotearoa's Melanie Lynskey also got the nod twice: for Best Lead Actress for Yellowjackets and Best Guest Actress — both in the drama camps — for, like almost everyone else, The Last of Us. Other standout noms include acting recognition for Better Call Saul's exceptional Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn, who should each have houses filled with awards by now; all the love for Barry's phenomenal last season; plus Bad Sisters' Sharon Horgan, Poker Face's Natasha Lyonne and Swarm's Dominique Fishback getting a look in. That said, all of the above shows could've and should've earned more attention (and the fact that Barry's Sarah Goldberg missed out is a particularly big gap). Also noticeable: that the outstanding Dead Ringers was completely overlooked, and The English; the lack of affection for Harrison Ford in Shrinking; just one acting nom for Yellowjackets; and leaving out Steve Martin and Selena Gomez for Only Murders in the Building. As always, of course, ace shows still exist without awards — whether or not they get nominated, or win. The 75th Emmy Awards will take place on Tuesday, September 19, Australian time. Here's a rundown of the major nominations — and you can check out the full list of nominees on the Emmys' website: EMMY NOMINEES 2023 OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Andor Better Call Saul The Crown House of the Dragon The Last of Us Succession The White Lotus Yellowjackets OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Abbott Elementary Barry The Bear Jury Duty The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Only Murders in the Building Ted Lasso Wednesday OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES Beef Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daisy Jones & the Six Fleishman Is in Trouble Obi-Wan Kenobi OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas Fire Island Hocus Pocus 2 Prey Weird: The Al Yankovic Story OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Jeff Bridges, The Old Man Brian Cox, Succession Kieran Culkin, Succession Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us Jeremy Strong, Succession OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us Keri Russell, The Diplomat Sarah Snook, Succession OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Bill Hader, Barry Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jason Segel, Shrinking Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso Jeremy Allen White, The Bear OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face Jenna Ortega, Wednesday OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Taron Egerton, Black Bird Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales Evan Peters, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Michael Shannon, George & Tammy Steven Yeun, Beef OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy Dominique Fishback, Swarm Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six Ali Wong, Beef OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus Nicholas Braun, Succession Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus Theo James, The White Lotus Matthew Macfadyen, Succession Alan Ruck, Succession Will Sharpe, The White Lotus Alexander Skarsgård, Succession OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul J. Smith-Cameron, Succession Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Anthony Carrigan, Barry Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso James Marsden, Jury Duty Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Henry Winkler, Barry OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary Juno Temple, Ted Lasso Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso Jessica Williams, Shrinking OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Murray Bartlett, Welcome to Chippendales Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird Richard Jenkins, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Joseph Lee, Beef Ray Liotta, Black Bird Young Mazino, Beef Jesse Plemons, Love & Death OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome to Chippendales Maria Bello, Beef Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & The Six Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Hiam Abbass, Succession Cherry Jones, Succession Melanie Lynskey, The Last of Us Storm Reid, The Last of Us Anna Torv, The Last of Us Harriet Walter, Succession OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us James Cromwell, Succession Lamar Johnson, The Last of Us Arian Moayed, Succession Nick Offerman, The Last of Us Keivonn Montreal Woodard, The Last of Us OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Becky Ann Baker, Ted Lasso Quinta Brunson, Saturday Night Live Taraji P Henson, Abbott Elementary Judith Light, Poker Face Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso Harriet Walter, Ted Lasso OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Jon Bernthal, The Bear Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Nathan Lane, Only Murders in the Building Pedro Pascal, Saturday Night Live Oliver Platt, The Bear Sam Richardson, Ted Lasso
When Geelong's 6Ft6 launched in 2003, it only made two varieties of wine: pinot noir and shiraz. Lovers of white vino will be glad that it expanded its range in 2015, with the winery's sauvignon blanc ideal for anyone keen on a lighter — but still fragrant, of course — splash. With this drop, you'll smell passionfruit curd, and taste gooseberry and lychee. And, while you're drinking it, you'll be supporting a family-owned vineyard that's now being run by a second generation. 6Ft6 makes 100-percent vegan tipples, too, if you're looking for a cruelty-free wine. Plus, for those feeling experimental or fancying something other than a plain glass of the good stuff, 6Ft6 recommends using its sauvignon blanc in a mojito spritz or watermelon sangria. The winery doesn't currently have a physical cellar door, but if you order online and spend more than $99, you'll receive free delivery.
The Yarra Valley is an incredibly popular year-round travel destination in Victoria. Come rain or shine, you're going to have a marvellous time hopping from cellar door to cellar door — trying world-class vinos and great food overlooking rolling vineyards. You can also hike up to hidden waterfalls, check out some local art at local museums and galleries and hit up country towns like Healesville, Yarra Glen and Marysville for all kinds of cultural experiences. To make visiting the Yarra Valley region a little easier for you, we've gathered together these 10 top-notch local stays that can all be booked on Concrete Playground Trips. WOODLANDS RAINFOREST RETREAT Woodlands Rainforest Retreat consists of a series of luxe cottages hidden within 16-acres of the Black Spur rainforest, right on the edge of the Yarra Valley. And while you won't be there alone, you will feel completely secluded thanks to each cottage being situated far away from one another, within thick fern gullies. All you'll hear is native wildlife and the babbling Hermitage Creek in the background. Light a fire in your living room, soak in the glass-walled spa bath overlooking the surrounding rainforest and head out on local hikes. You can easily spend your entire holiday right here. BOOK IT NOW. YERING GORGE COTTAGES Modern, self-contained cottages are the name of the game at this working farm. There are several one-to-four-bedroom cottages spread throughout the property, surrounded by families of kangaroos and plenty of cattle that you'll see wandering up over the hills. Hiking trails that lead down to babbling river with picnic tables are all also located within a short walk or bike ride from each of the cottages. That means you don't need to drive off somewhere else to get up and close with nature. It's all on your doorstep at this laidback spot. BOOK IT NOW. FURMSTON HOUSE AND STUDIO This recently renovated house offers up a super stylish place to stay in Healesville — feeling like a privately rented out accommodation but in fact, is actually owned and run by the nearby Healesville Hotel. It will feel as if you're staying in your own cosy private house, but you still get access to the hotel's luxe amenities and other offerings. You have a few booking options too. Either rent out the entire home that sleeps four people or add on the adjacent studio to bring that up to six. And if you are just a couple, opt for one of the individual rooms in the nearby hotel. Whatever option you choose, you'll be just a few minutes' walk from town and a short drive away from the region's famous vineyards. BOOK IT NOW. CHATEAU YERING HOTEL Escape to the Yarra Valley's own version of Versailles by staying at this lavish mansion. Expect to find ornately decorated drawing rooms, light-filled dining areas (where it hosts traditional afternoon tea experiences) and 32 individually designed suites. These guys don't shy away from colour nor pattern. It's all a more is more kind of vibe. But still keeping it classy. Chateau Yering Hotel is also set within a massive 250-acre property, so you'll also get sweeping countryside views and plenty of options for relaxing walks and picnics in the gardens. BOOK IT NOW. MYERS CREEK CASCADES COTTAGES These four self-contained cottages are engulfed by nature. Eucalyptus trees and giant ferns surround each and every place to stay on the property, creating a great sense of solitude. Soak in the two-person spa bath overlooking a waterfall and let the romance of this place simply wash over you. Staying in one of the Myers Creek Cascades Cottages is an easy win for any couple seeking a special weekend away together. BOOK IT NOW. THE STUDIO YARRA VALLEY This Yarra Glen accommodation boasts uninterrupted views across Dixons Creek Valley and the surrounding farmland. And within the studio, you'll find one large bedroom with a king-sized bed, a kitchen with all the essentials (including a coffee machine), a private verandah with table and chairs and a sun-lit lounge room with its own sofa bed. It has all the essential for a great Yarra Valley vacay and is close to all the main towns in the area — Yarra Glen town centre is only a 5-minute drive away and it will take 10-minutes to get to Healesville. BOOK IT NOW. FORGET ME NOT COTTAGES This place is full of character. Each of the four wooden cottages has been individually decorated by the owners, in their own quirky style. The Music Room cottage comes with a large canopy bed draped in colourful fabric, animal fur rugs, and an assortment of instruments — why not play the bongos or guitar while sitting around the fire one night? It even has its own outdoor heated spa on the verandah, perfect for stargazing at night. The interiors of The Rose Cottage, The Green Room and The Water Garden apartment are also just as uniquely curated. You certainly won't forget your time spent at Forget Me Not Cottages anytime soon. BOOK IT NOW. SANCTUARY PARK COTTAGES These set of cottages are really great for small or larger groups of travellers looking to stay within the Yarra Valley region. There are two-bedroom cottages that sleep up to four people, a three-bedroom cottage that sleeps up to eight people and there's also the Homestead that comfortably sleeps up to ten. They are also well spread out within the 20-acre property so there's no need to worry about noise. And you're close to a bunch of wineries, so you won't be spending a whole lot on transport to and from your accommodation. BOOK IT NOW. ARALUEN BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION You'll find this collection of rooms and villas nestled down in Steels Creek Valley, a seven-minute drive north of Yarra Glen. The three villas are all self-contained and boast impressive views across the surrounding countryside, gardens and swimming pool. Then there are the individual rooms. These are located within a wing of a large lodge, each with private external access and unobstructed views of the surrounding gardens. Bring back some wine from your Yarra Valley adventures, enjoying it on your private balcony or within the communal lounge areas by the fire. BOOK IT NOW. YARRA VALLEY LODGE The Yarra Valley Lodge has everything you'd expect from a country club. First off, there's the gold course — to either play on or just enjoy looking at while you sip wines on your private balcony. It has even partnered up with Heritage Retreat & Day Spa to offer up a huge selection of pamper packages to guests. Then you've got the modern rooms and suites, all of which look out at either the golf course or surrounding countryside vistas. Choosing to stay here is a no-brainer. It easily ticks all the boxes for those wanting comfort and laidback luxury in the Yarra Valley. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Myers Creek Cascades Cottages
If you liked choosing your way through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Netflix has more where that came from. At present, you can also tell Bear Grylls what to do in interactive series You vs. Wild, and soon you'll be able to decide what happens to everyone's favourite kidnapping victim turned wide-eyed New Yorker in a one-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special. While the Tina Fey co-created, 18-time Emmy-nominated comedy finished up its regular run with this year's batch of episodes, which closed out the show's fourth season, it's coming back in 2020 to put viewers in control. While Netflix has actually been in the interactive game for a couple of years thanks to its children's shows like Puss in Boots, Buddy Thunderstruck and Stretch Armstrong, this'll mark the streamer's first interactive comedy. Always wanted to curb Kimmy's (Ellie Kemper) enthusiasm? Keen to steer ex-socialite Jacqueline White (Jane Krakowski) towards a few sensible decisions? Think that landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) could be more eccentric and misanthropic? Just love everything that aspiring actor and singer Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) does? Then this is for you, obviously. Details of the storyline haven't been announced, but "fans will be able to make choices on behalf of our characters, taking different story paths with, of course, different jokes," revealed Tina Fey in a Netflix statement. "I think it's a great fit for our show and will be a great way to officially complete the series," she continued. Check out the trailer for the fourth season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Ec8uWZrgA As reported by Variety in March, with Bandernatch proving such a hit, Netflix is understandably eager to capitalise upon the branching narrative format's success. "We realised, wow, interactive storytelling is something we want to bet more on," said the platform's Vice President of product, Todd Yellin, at a conference in Mumbai. "We're doubling down on that. So expect over the next year or two to see more interactive storytelling. And it won't necessarily be science fiction, or it won't necessarily be dark. It could be a wacky comedy. It could be a romance, where the audience gets to choose — should she go out with him or him." Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's interactive special will hit Netflix at a yet-to-be-revealed date in 2020. Image: Eric Liebowitz/Netflix.
Back in March 2020, when the Sydney Opera House shut its doors due to the pandemic, the venue quickly went digital. Last year was the year of experiencing gigs, talks and shows online, after all — but the Opera House isn't stepping away from its online slate now that life is returning to normal. With the venue's 2020 digital season From Our House to Yours proving a hit, the Opera House is taking the next step in 2021 and launching its own streaming platform. Simply called Stream, the new service is online now and serving up a lineup of concerts, chats and performances. At present, Stream features over 30 hours of programming, which spans more than 45 different events. Plenty of it is free, including a compilation of past Opera House gigs that features The Cure, Bon Iver, H.E.R. and Solange; a live set by Ziggy Ramo; Badu Gili's projection of Indigenous art onto the building's sails; First Nations dance competition Dance Rites; and the From Our House to Yours program. There's also a paid component, including highlights from the Opera House's recent Antidote and About All Women festivals — if you missed out on either and are keen to dive in. Performances by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Chamber Opera and Omega Ensemble are also on offer, as is free content for kids and families — and Stream's slate will keep growing, too. When the venue hosts four concerts at its Forecourt from Friday, April 9–Sunday, April 11, for instance, they'll be livestreamed free on the streaming platform. A new series of online commissions, called Shortwave, will explore the intersection between performance and digital. Online exhibition Returning, which will highlight works by Australian and Japanese artists that examine the post-pandemic world, is also set to join Stream in the near future. [caption id="attachment_806347" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Badu Gili[/caption] Announcing the platform, the Opera House's Head of Digital Programming Stuart Buchanan said that Stream will augment "livestreams and performance recordings with digital-first work that celebrates the ways in which technology is being embraced and disrupted in the performing arts." Stream is also great news for folks who don't live in Sydney, or do but can't make it to a gig, show, festival or talk. While the Opera House won't be placing everything that graces its stages on the platform, the new service will still let you sample the venue's lineup without physically stopping by. To check out the Sydney Opera House's new Stream service, head to the platform's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
"There are eight billion people on this planet, but only 25 awards to be given out tonight". If you've ever dreamed about winning an Emmy, Oprah Winfrey just worked out your odds each year: over 300 million to one. Of course, that just makes every batch of recipients at Hollywood's night of TV nights all the more special — including 2022's, which just received its shiny trophies today, Tuesday, September 13, Down Under. Hosted by Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson, this year's ceremony started with an important question. "If it weren't for TV, what would be do in our free time?" Thompson asked — and if you spend plenty of your after-work hours watching the non-stop array of new and returning series always competing for your eyeballs, you understand. The Emmys always provide an answer to a different query, too, showing us all the reasons why we do keep reaching for the remote during our couch time. In 2022, the ceremony's winners included both returning favourites and new hits. Succession — or Business Throne, as it was dubbed by Girls5Eva — kept winning awards. That isn't a surprise given that it nabbed a whopping 25 nominations to begin with, including 14 for acting. The White Lotus also earned itself some new mantle knickknacks from its 20 noms, as did Ted Lasso from the same amount of nods. And Squid Game also got lucky, and a green light. Similarly among the highlights, beyond the gongs themselves: Lizzo's tearful speech about representation and body image in the media, and wanting to see someone like herself on TV; Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers riffing while handing out an award, which never gets old; Only Murders in the Building's Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short doing the same, particularly Martin and Short's banter about each other's careers; and Brett Goldstein promising not to swear while picking up his award, then doing it anyway (he does play Roy fucking Kent, after all). Or, there was Jennifer Coolidge refusing to give up her "once in a lifetime" shot to thank everyone, and just dancing to the music playing her off; The White Lotus creator Mike White talking about his time on Survivor (yes really); and the fact that the ceremony started with opening musical numbers to the Friends, The Brady Bunch, Law and Order, Stranger Things and Game of Thrones themes (again, yes really). Now, back to those winners — you'll find the full list below, as well as who they were up against. Fancy knowing more about this year's must-see highlights? Check out our top ten picks, too. EMMY NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2022 OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Better Call Saul Euphoria Ozark Severance Squid Game Stranger Things Succession — WINNER Yellowjackets OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Abbott Elementary Barry Curb Your Enthusiasm Hacks The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Only Murders in the Building Ted Lasso — WINNER What We Do in the Shadows OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES Dopesick The Dropout Inventing Anna Pam & Tommy The White Lotus — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Jason Bateman, Ozark Brian Cox, Succession Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game — WINNER Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Adam Scott, Severance Jeremy Strong, Succession OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Jodie Comer, Killing Eve Laura Linney, Ozark Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show Zendaya, Euphoria — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Donald Glover, Atlanta Bill Hader, Barry Nicholas Hoult, The Great Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant Elle Fanning, The Great Issa Rae, Insecure Jean Smart, Hacks — WINNER OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Colin Firth, The Staircase Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage Michael Keaton, Dopesick — WINNER Himesh Patel, Station Eleven Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Toni Collette, The Staircase Julia Garner, Inventing Anna Lily James, Pam & Tommy Sarah Paulson, Impeachment: American Crime Story Margaret Qualley, Maid Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout — WINNER OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Nicholas Braun, Succession Billy Crudup, The Morning Show Kieran Culkin, Succession Park Hae-soo, Squid Game Matthew Macfadyen, Succession — WINNER John Turturro, Severance Christopher Walken, Severance Oh Yeong-soo, Squid Game OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Patricia Arquette, Severance Julia Garner, Ozark — WINNER Jung Ho-yeon, Squid Game Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul J. Smith-Cameron, Succession Sarah Snook, Succession Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Anthony Carrigan, Barry Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso — WINNER Toheeb Jimoh, Ted Lasso Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Henry Winkler, Barry Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary — WINNER Juno Temple, Ted Lasso Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus — WINNER Jake Lacy, The White Lotus Will Poulter, Dopesick Seth Rogen, Pam & Tommy Peter Sarsgaard, Dopesick Michael Stuhlbarg, Dopesick Steve Zahn, The White Lotus OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TELEVISION MOVIE Connie Britton, The White Lotus Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus — WINNER Alexandra Daddario, The White Lotus Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus Sydney Sweeney, The White Lotus Mare Winningham, Dopesick DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Jason Bateman, Ozark Ben Stiller, Severance Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game — WINNER Mark Mylod, Succession Cathy Yan, Succession Lorene Scafaria, Succession Karyn Kusama, Yellowjackets WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES Thomas Schnauz, Better Call Saul Chris Mundy, Ozark Dan Erickson, Severance Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game Jesse Armstrong, Succession — WINNER Jonathan Lisco, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Hiro Murai, Atlanta Bill Hader, Barry Lucia Aniello, Hacks Mary Lou Belli, The Ms Pat Show Cherien Dabis, Only Murders in The Building Jamie Babbit, Only Murders in The Building MJ Delaney, Ted Lasso — WINNER WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary — WINNER Duffy Boudreau, Barry Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Barry Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks Steve Martin and John Hoffman, Only Murders in The Building Jane Becker, Ted Lasso Sarah Naftalis, What We Do in The Shadows Stefani Robinson, What We Do in The Shadows DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE Danny Strong, Dopesick Michael Showalter, The Dropout Francesca Gregorini, The Dropout John Wells, Maid Hiro Murai, Station Eleven Mike White, The White Lotus — WINNER WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE Danny Strong, Dopesick Elizabeth Meriwether, The Dropout Sarah Burgess, Impeachment: American Crime Story Molly Smith Metzler, Maid Patrick Somerville, Station Eleven Mike White, The White Lotus — WINNER OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES A Black Lady Sketch Show Saturday Night Live — WINNER OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight With John Oliver — WINNER Late Night With Seth Meyers The Late Show With Stephen Colbert OUTSTANDING COMPETITION PROGRAM The Amazing Race Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls — WINNER Nailed It! RuPaul's Drag Race Top Chef The Voice OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL Ali Wong, Ali Wong: Don Wong Ian Berger, Devin Delliquanti, Jennifer Flanz, Jordan Klepper, Zhubin Parang, Scott Sherman, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Jerrod Carmichael, Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel — WINNER Nicole Byer, Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) Norm Macdonald, Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special The 73rd Emmy Awards will took place on Tuesday, September 13, Australian and New Zealand time. For more information, head to the Emmys' website. Top image: HBO.
We love a good lockdown success story — and the delicious brainchild of Federico Congiu (Di Stasio) and Manato Deleon (DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, Shujinko) certainly is one of them. The pair's ramen pop-up Parco Project won itself hordes of fans during its appearance at Shujinko last year, making an instant cult-favourite of the signature lobster ramen. Now, the concept has returned in permanent bricks-and-mortar form, with the launch of Parco Ramen in Moonee Ponds. With space to seat just 19 diners at a time, the intimate restaurant nods to the tiny venues of Tokyo, serving a menu of slurp-worthy Japanese soup made to the pair's crowd-pleasing recipes. Congiu draws on his time spent mastering the art of ramen while working in Miyazaki, Tokyo, Sapporo and Abashiri, to deliver a lineup of full-flavoured soups, rice bowls and sides. The ramen features a clean and natural umami kick thanks to the boys' use of house-made koji — a traditional Japanese ferment or edible fungus made from mould-inoculated grains. Often used to create ingredients like miso, sake and soy sauce, the product lends Parco's soups an extra level of flavour and is even thought to aid digestion. A handy thing for anyone who's just smashed a big serve of noodle-filled ramen. On the menu, you'll catch five ramen varieties made on a creamy chicken broth, as well as two vegan-friendly iterations crafted on a base of miso and mushroom. For an extra fix of richness, try the black truffle ramen — boasting pork neck cha siu, yuzu juice and mizuna — or fire things up with the Karakuchi number, laced with Parco's house 'spicy paste'. Ask nicely and you might just be able to get your mitts on a bowl of that fan-fave lobster ramen. Outside of the soups, you can dig into a range of donburi bowls, plus snacks like karaage chicken, panko-crumbed fried shrimp, gyoza and parmesan-doused truffle fries. There's even the option to BYO booze for an easy $5 per person. Parco's home ramen kits are not currently available while the team focuses on the launch of their new venue, though we can confirm they're looking to bring them back soon. Find Parco Ramen at 17a Hall Street, Moonee Ponds. It's open from 5–9.30pm Tuesday to Sunday.
Throughout our long history of drinking, bartending has been a male-dominated game — but that's not to say there haven't been some exceptional ladies who've left their mark on the industry and shaped our boozy landscape forevermore. Not least of which is the great Ada Coleman, one of only two women to ever hold the position of head bartender at London's Savoy Hotel. So, this International Women's Day, legendary cocktail bar The Everleigh is celebrating these history-making gals with an evening of cocktails, cheese and chats. On Tuesday, March 8, head up to the Elk Room to enjoy a few specialty sips, while two leading ladies of the Melbourne bar scene share stories about some of history's greatest female bartenders. You'll hear from Farmer's Daughters bar manager Nele Stubben and The Everleigh's own Katya Owens. Also included in your $65 ticket, you'll sip three cocktails originally designed by women and made for this occasion using Never Never gin — including the Hanky Panky, a Gin Gin Mule and a riff on a sherry cobbler. To match, there'll be a selection of cheeses by cheesemaker Lucy Whitlow. And what's more, a portion of all ticket sales will go to support women's empowerment not-for-profit SisterWorks. [caption id="attachment_845088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Everleigh's Katya Owens, by Tash Sorensen[/caption]
Purrfect news, feline fans: everything a dapper doggo can do, a cute cat can as well. While that's an accurate statement in general, as anyone who has ever shared their life with both a pooch and a kitty will know, it's also the thinking behind Australia's latest animal event. From the folks behind the Dog Lovers Show comes the mouser equivalent: the Cat Lovers Show. If you wear the 'crazy cat person' label as a badge of honour, stop to pat every moggie you meet while you're walking down the street or spend your all of your spare time watching cat videos (or all of the above), then you'll want to block out September 8 and 9, 2018 in your diary. And, if you live elsewhere, you'll want to head to Melbourne. The Victorian capital first boasted the country's first cat cafe, and now it'll host the first Cat Lovers Show. Expect Carlton to come alive with the sounds of meows, with the event taking place at the Royal Exhibition Building on Nicholson Street. On the agenda: feline-focused education and celebration. Before you go thinking about adorable kitties wearing glasses and sitting at desks, or popping streamers and wearing party hats (awwwwwwwww), it's humans will be doing the learning and rejoicing. Really, what's more informative and exuberant than entering the Pat-A-Cat zone and getting cosy with cats of all shapes and sizes — and possibly taking one home with you? Watching a cat talent show in the Pet Circle Colosseum comes close, obviously. If that doesn't tickle your whiskers, attendees will also be able to take a purrfect match quiz to find out which type of cat suits them best, meet different breeds, listen to talks by experts, browse more than 120 stalls and snap selfies with Instagram cat stars. Plus, a cat-inspired food menu will also be on offer, because everyone wants to eat chicken 'cat'cciatore or chocolate 'meow'sse. Just remember: there'll be plenty of mousers in the Cat Lovers Show house, so you'll need to leave your own moggie at home. The Melbourne Cat Lovers Show will take place on September 8 and 9, 2018 at the Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton. For more information — and to keep an eye out for tickets, which will go on sale in February — visit the website.
Craft beer isn't just for hipsters anymore. More and more people are looking for alternatives to the usual swill of Carlton Draught or Toohey's New, and the boutique market is flourishing. The beer taps at your local pub are as varied as ever and there's always a colourful, new offering to taste test. But that's just the thing; with such a wealth of options out there, how can we decide which to pick? Enter the Craft Beer Industry Association. These legends have just hosted the inaugural awards for Australian brews and picked you the cream of the crop (so to speak). At a ceremony at Giant Dwarf last night, 11 awards were given to breweries in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (sorry, Brissie). The big winner of the night was Modus Operandi Brewing Co, a small Mona Vale brewery which launched earlier this year. We've written about them before because they sell truly incredible 1L takeaway cans, but apparently the beer's pretty good too. Their red ale, Former Tenant, took out the top gong for best craft beer as well as best amber/dark ale and their Zoo Feeder IPA also won its category. Quite rightly, the company itself was named the best small brewery in the country. Other winners include Melbourne's Moon Dog Brewing, Two Births and La Sierene, Sydney's 4 Pines and Nail Brewing Australia from Perth. The best drops for summer will undoubtedly be 4 Pines' ESB Pale Ale; Saison, the award-winning French and Belgian style creation from La Sirene; and specialty ale Taco from Two Birds. The latter beer actually has hints of corriander leaf and fresh lime peel — the perfect replacement for your tired old summer ales. These victors were picked from a spread of 280 beers from 80 breweries across the country. "We were blown away by not only the quality but the variety of brewers we have in Australia," said CBIA Chair Peta Fielding. "[We] are proud the CBIA can help draw attention to these talented brewers." Speaking as people who enjoy a beer or two over the sunnier months, we wholly appreciate this too. Stay classy, Australia — stick to craft beers this season. Full list of winners: Kegstar Champion Australian Craft Beer - 'Former Tenant', Modus Operandi Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) AIBA Champion Pale Ale - 'ESB', 4 Pines Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) Labelmakers Champion Amber/Dark Ale - 'Former Tenant', Modus Operandi Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) Champion Porter and Stout - 'Black Lung IV', Moon Dog Brewing (Melbourne, VIC) Champion Speciality Beer - 'Taco', Two Birds Brewing (Melbourne, VIC) Beer and Brewer Champion IPA - 'Zoo Feeder', Modus Operandi Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) Champion French and Belgian style - 'Saison', La Sirene (Melbourne, VIC) Hopco Champion Small Brewery - Modus Operandi Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) Cryer Malt Champion Medium Brewery - Nail Brewing Australia (Perth, WA) Bintani Champion Large Brewery - Joint winners: 4 Pines Brewing Company (Sydney, NSW) and Two Birds Brewing (Melbourne, VIC) CBIA Services to Australian Craft Beer - Willie Simpson Photos via Modus Operandi Brewing Co.
He’s hung out in Nevada brothels, suburban swingers’ clubs and high-security gaols in Miami. Does Louis Theroux have what it takes to survive Q and As across Australia? We’ll find out when the fearless filmmaker, journo and social commentator heads our way this September for a national speaking tour. In his first visit to the Great Southern Land, Theroux will be joining ABC’s Julia Zemiro for big chats in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. You’ll be hearing all about how he’s survived dens of iniquity all over the planet without losing his sanity or moral sense. He’ll also be reminiscing about time spent with a nasty neo-Nazi gang in the United States and recounting his brief stint as a rap god on New Orleans radio. “For me, making my programs is quite a private process,” Theroux said. “They are about forging a human connection with people whose lives are at the outermost edge of what we as people experience: the most forbidden impulses, the most frightening lifestyles, the most traumatic turns of events. To get inside the lives of those people — criminals, sex workers, people with mental illness, ultra-committed religious believers — is a kind of high-wire act.” Theroux is looking forward to sharing the ins and outs of the filmmaking process with his listeners, while telling all the bizarre stories that didn’t make the cuts. In between talking, he’ll be screening footage from Weird Weekends, his famous series of one-off investigations and encounters with various celebrities and power brokers. When he and Zemiro are done, you’ll have loads of time to ask questions of your own. “In his documentaries, Louis Theroux finds the extraordinary in the ordinary," says Zemiro. "Through patience, stillness and rigour, he reveals so much about human nature. I'm delighted to be hosting this tour and intend to pick up as many tips as possible in the art of interviewing.” Catch Louis Theroux at Perth’s Riverside Theatre on September 22, Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on September 25, Sydney’s State Theatre on September 27, Adelaide’s Festival Theatre on September 30 and Brisbane’s QPAC on October 1. Tickets go on sale on March 21 via Louis Theroux's tour website. Image: Carsen Windhorst.
Here are the very few things I know about Finland: it's cold and covered in forests, people are pale and highly educated, and they have an array of deeply frightening death metal bands. Now you can add World Design Capital to that list, because Helsinki, Finland's capital, has just been awarded the 2012 title by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. Helsinki, proclaimed the world's most livable city by Monocle, won due to its ability to use the country's creative and artistic industries to promote economic growth, as opposed to other country's attempts at killing them off to try and save costs. Combining beautiful landscape with efficient infrastructure and socially conscious urban planning, design has been an integral part of life in Helsinki for years and manifests itself in furniture, jewelry, interior design and architecture. Festivities will last for a year and include more than 300 events and programs in and around Helsinki, officially beginning on New Year's Eve with a celebration in Helsinki's Senate Square. The activities will include not only designers and creative leaders but the entire Finnish community, and will also feature traveling exhibits in St Petersburg, Taipei, London, Berlin and Tokyo. In a highly sensible and Scandinavian way, Helsinki has vowed that the year won't be a fireworks display of events and shows, but a deeper attempt to explore sustainable design from a broad perspective and how design can be made better, easier, more functional and accessible to everybody. If there was ever a time to take a trip to Helsinki, looks like next year might be it. [Via Cool Hunting]
Few countries are as geographically diverse as Australia. We have snow-capped mountains, tropical rainforests, red deserts and long-stretching beaches. At these idyllic locations are some of the country's most luxe experiences, letting us explore all that our country has to offer. With the holiday season fast approaching, why not give the gift of travel to the luxury lover in your life? After all, you can't really top a trip away. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to round up ten of indulgent experiences to get your mate (or whoever, really) who loves a fabulous gift. Whether you book them in for a high-flying feed at Australia's most boundary-pushing museum or get them a voucher to a five-star hotel, these experiences provide a much-needed dose of escapism. Play your cards right and you might score an invite, too.
As bushfires have ravaged Australia this summer, much of the country's wildlife has been caught in the blaze, with an estimated one billion creatures killed and significant numbers injured. Photographs and footage of fire-affected animals have become a common and heartbreaking sight, with organisations such as the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) working to assist these critters in need — and your next coffee-flavoured boozy beverage can help them. To raise money for WIRES, homegrown coffee liqueur company Mr Black has released a limited-edition version of its cold-brew tipple. Buy a bottle, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the wildlife rescue organisation. Each one costs $100, with Mr Black aiming to raise $10,000 for the incredibly worthy cause. As well as getting 700ml of the brand's very popular alcoholic caffeinated beverage, you'll receive it in an adorable bottle, as made in collaboration with creative studio The Young Jerks. A koala adorns the label, clinging to a branch as part of a stylised and striking — and immensely cute — design. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7aDMi0B2KM/ Orders are open now, with bottles expected to ship in six–eight weeks. And, that shipping cost will be covered by Mr Black, meaning that every dollar you spend on the Bushfire Relief Limited Edition will be donated — and won't need to cover the cost of getting the booze to you. Mr Black's Bushfire Relief Limited Edition cold brew coffee liqueur is currently available to purchase from the brand's website, with orders expected to be shipped in six–eight weeks.
Breaking up with booze for a month to raise some funds for cancer research? Perhaps you want to reset after a few too many couch vinos in iso? Or maybe you're simply looking to embrace a more liver-friendly lifestyle overall? Whatever your reason for axing (or just relaxing) that alcohol intake, Dry July's as good a time as ever to dive in. And helpfully, you've got a swag of creative-thinking Aussie bars and locally-made booze-free tipples on your side. From zero-hangover beers crafted on native ingredients, to botanical-driven mocktails packing just as much of a flavour punch as their boozy counterparts, here are a few alcohol-free goodies to check out during Dry July. [caption id="attachment_775356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Demetre Minchev[/caption] SOBAH Booze-free beer is nothing new, but one Gold Coast company is taking the concept to a whole new place. Aboriginal-owned Sobah is whipping up a range of non-alcoholic tinnies heroing sustainably-sourced native ingredients like davidson plum and finger lime. And these cans will quench your thirst for a cold, fizzy brew, even while that alcohol content clocks in at less than 0.5 percent. Right now, you can get your hands on crafty drops like a lemon aspen pilsner, a pepperberry IPA and a zesty finger lime cerveza, each housed in a bright, arty tin you'd be more than happy to whip out at that next barbecue. Sobah's also doing its bit to raise awareness and conversation around mindful drinking and healthy lifestyle choices, throwing support behind organisations like 101 Tokens. Find four-packs from $18 available at select bottle shops and online. MONDAY DISTILLERY If you fancy limiting carbs as well as that ABV, this premix tipple is about to become your new best mate. Port Fairy's Monday Distillery has created a series of non-alcoholic riffs on classic mixed sips like the gin and tonic and the dark and stormy. And not only are these beauties free from alcohol, but they're crafted with zero sugar and come packaged in some pretty elegant kit. A sophisticated step up from standard mineral water or super sweet soft drinks, if ever there was one. Right now, the Monday range runs from a classic dry G&T to a ginger-spiked rum-style concoction, though we're told you should stay tuned for more vodka and whisky-inspired goodies to come. Find four-packs from $24 from Victorian Dan Murphy's and online LYRE'S SPIRIT CO Need some reassurance that ditching the booze needn't also mean ditching flavour and creativity? Contemporary drinks brand Lyre's is all the proof you need, with its 13-strong stable of non-alcoholic concoctions, each nodding to a different classic spirit or liqueur. This broad-ranging lineup opens up a world of possibility for those wanting to nix, or limit, the alcohol, allowing you to create endless variations on much-loved mixed drinks and cocktails. There's a bitter orange creation reminiscent of Campari, a signature Dry London Spirit modelled on a classic gin, and even an homage to the Green Fairy. Swap out your usual booze of choice with one of these Lyre's drops and leave the FOMO far behind. And, if you buy a bottle now, you'll score a free private virtual bartending class. Find 700-millilitre bottles for $45 at select bottle shops and online. NON If you're breaking from the booze and looking to fill a wine-shaped hole in your life, you'll find a worthy alternative in Non — a series of alcohol-free drinks created in Melbourne by ex-Noma chef William Wade. The brand currently makes five different 0 percent ABV sips, carefully crafted with premium ingredients and rocking some grown-up flavour combinations. Featured in the lineup are a couple of wine-inspired creations — a salted raspberry and chamomile number that's similar to a pét-nat, and a nod to a sparkling shiraz with flavours of roast beetroot and sansho pepper. Otherwise, you can answer your cider cravings with the caramelised pear and kombu blend, opt for the gose-style hibiscus drink, or hit aperitivo hour armed with Non's toasted cinnamon and yuzu concoction. Find 750-millilitre bottles for $30 from select wine stores and online [caption id="attachment_775360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dry Negroni at Gin Lane[/caption] DRINKING OUT IN SYDNEY GIN LANE, CHIPPENDALE Over in Chippendale, the botanical enthusiasts at Gin Lane are flexing their creativity with a whole lineup of non-alcoholic creations heroing the Lyre's stable. Here, some of your favourite gin drinks have been given a booze-free makeover, with options like the dry southside, a dry martini with a twist or olive, and a hangover-free riff on the negroni. TOKO, SURRY HILLS Sake might be the natural match to Toko's elegant Japanese fare, but if you're off the booze, you'll find the bar's lineup of signature non-alcoholic cocktails also stand up pretty darn well. Expect crafty creations like the Kodachi Spritz, made using Seedlip's Grove 42 blend, with coconut, lychee and salted grapefruit soda. THE BOTANIST, KIRRIBILLI This Kirribilli bar's botanical theme extends right through the drinks list to a selection of lively, alcohol-free sips that are every bit as satisfying as a regular weekend cocktail. Hold your own against the boozers with something like the Kirribilli Highball: a fruity fusion of Cedar's non-alcoholic gin, smashed pineapple, lime and basil. [caption id="attachment_775361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Booze-free G&Ts at Covent Garden[/caption] DRINKING OUT IN BRISBANE COVENT GARDEN, WEST END West End bar Covent Garden might be best known for its sprawling gin selection, but it also makes a pretty mean mocktail. The kind that'll impress your taste buds and your Instagram followers alike. Signatures include the likes of the We're Out Of Rum — a blend of apple, mint and lime — or you can play mix and match with the bar's extensive range of specialty tonics. JUMPING GOATS, MARGATE A champion for all sorts, this neighbourhood bar not only boasts a hefty selection of gluten-free goodies, but is serving up a truly impressive list of non-alcoholic liquid treats. Head in for a range of booze-free brews, alongside house mocktails like the Margate Sunset: orange, bitters and fresh lime, finished with a splash of ginger ale. MECCA BAH, NEWSTEAD Mecca Bah is serving up a full-flavoured drinks offering to match its modern Middle Eastern and Mediterranean eats. Including a handful of fruit-forward mocktails that'll have you feeling as sophisticated a sipper as the rest of them. Join in the fun with the likes of the Iced Apple and Cinnamon Turkish Tea, or the Pink Fez, spiked with lychee, pineapple and vanilla.
The celebrations have been a little scarce so far this year, but the festive season is coming in hot and the country is good and ready for some revelry. If you're a lover of craft brews, you won't find a much better accompaniment for those holiday happenings than the latest limited-edition offering from boutique booze retailer Craft Cartel: Australia's largest ever case of craft beer. Available now for pre-sale, the 100 Can Case features a monster edit of 100 tinnies from 25 of the country's best-loved indie breweries. Enough to see you through a good chunk of the summer picnics, backyard barbecues, beach sessions and Christmas Day lunches to come. Or, if you're the sharing type, enough to make you one very popular Christmas party guest. Favourites like Akasha, Bentspoke Brewing Co, Sauce Brewing and Young Henrys have goodies in the box, as do a range of the Victorian breweries hit especially hard by extra lockdowns this year, including Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Bridge Road Brewers. The style lineup is broad, too, featuring NEIPAs, brown ales and just about everything in between. They're all housed in a limited-edition custom timber box, with the whole thing clocking in at an impressive 40 kilograms. And, while it'll set you back a cool $499, the 100 Can Case also comes with ten $20 Craft Cartel vouchers, effectively sorting out all your Christmas present shopping in one neat hit. Of course, it's not the first time Craft Cartel has gone big on the beer front. Earlier this year, it stocked the slightly smaller Pabst Blue Ribbon 99 Can Carton, packed with 99 tins of the legendary USA lager. To register for pre-sale of the 100 Can Craft Beer Case, head to the website now. If there's stock left, it'll then go on sale to the general public this Thursday, November 26, for $499.
Just like every regional bakery seems to have received an award for the best vanilla slice, others claim to be the spot offering the best pie. However, those who want to put these claims to the test now have their chance, at least in one city, as Ballarat's Best Pie competition gives pie-loving punters a say in whose pastry deserves the ultimate cred. Returning for its third year, there are 36 savoury and sweet pies to taste, with trophies and bragging rights handed out across seven categories, including some for the first time. While an esteemed panel will pick their winner on Saturday, August 2, you're also invited to vote for your crust crusader. Adding to existing categories like Best Pie, Best Sweet Pie and Best Bakery Pie, the inaugural accolades include the Brilliantly Unexpected Pie and the Pie with Purpose, which rewards a low-waste, innovative or local produce approach. So, where does the average pastry aficionado come in? You're invited to participate in the People's Choice Pie award by casting your vote using the QR code at each venue or online. Having quickly become a cherished event, the upper crust of Victoria's food scene is getting involved. For instance, beloved cook, author and television presenter Julia Busuttil Nishimura takes on Master of Ceremonies responsibilities for the 2025 Best Pie Awards. Meanwhile, the judging panel features MasterChef Australia contestant and Ballarat local Tim Bone, alongside acclaimed food writer Richard Cornish. As you might expect, Ballarat is flush with inventive chefs and bakers, with a host of nostalgic classics and bold new bakes giving visitors the chance to compare, contrast and rate each entry. Just some to consider include 1816 Bakehouse's butter chicken pie, the Aussie Oggie Pastry Co's prawn and scallop pie, and the limoncello meringue pie at Kilderkin Distillery. Looking over past winners, the competition is bound to be fierce amongst these pie-oneers. In 2023, Flying Chillies was crowned Ballarat's Best Pie with its babi pongteh pie. Then, Itinerant Spirits' took home the main prize with their wild orchard apple and vodka pie. Will sweet or savoury reign supreme this year? Head to Ballarat and put the town's immense pie selection through its paces. Ballarat's Best Pie competition runs from Friday, August 1–Sunday, August 31 across various locations. Head to the website for more information. Images: Chris McConville.
The mercury is rising in Melbourne, and so too is our excitement to enjoy all of the outdoor things this summer. Like a cheeky mid-afternoon aperitif. Or an evening of live entertainment under the stars. Making it easy to experience all of the above in one location is Casa Aperol at Petanque Social. And although the opulent Crown riverside where you'll find it may be renowned for its extravagant events and eateries, this pop-up is dialling things right back and replacing the red-carpet razzle-dazzle with a different type of cool — a Riviera summer. From Wednesday, February 1 and taking place from Wednesdays to Sundays until April 2, the popular outdoor lounge and bar will transform into an airy alfresco social space. The kind of place where you can enjoy a summer-ready cocktail and a food menu crafted by Gradi, before DJs, instrumentalists and vocalists take over at sunset and on Saturdays and Sundays. Plus, if you visit and purchase an Aperol Spritz you can into the draw to win a skippered boat experience for you and four friends, complete with Aperol Spritz hampers and onboard entertainment. Not lucky enough to walk away with first prize? Aperol will also be teaming up with On A Boat throughout summer, giving anyone the chance to hire a self-skippered Aperol-branded boat for up to six people to enjoy a session on the Yarra. The celebrations will culminate with a ticketed live music festival in collaboration with Live Nation at a yet-to-be-announced venue (you'll have to wait a bit longer for the details), and an assortment of other watch-this-space Aperol activations popping up at this legendary Melbourne riverside spot. If it's all starting to sound a little Italian Riviera, well, that's the idea. For the latest information on the Casa Aperol x Petanque Social pop-up, head to the website.
UPDATE: APRIL 27, 2020 — Since it was released at 6pm on Sunday, April 26, over one million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe app. The government has previously said for it to be effective, it needs 40 percent of the population — around 10 million people — to download it. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined seven conditions under which Australia's social distancing and public gathering restrictions could be relaxed, at the earliest, in mid May. One of those was significantly expanding testing, which was rolled out on Friday, and another was a contact tracing app. The latter has been launched tonight, Sunday, April 26, by the Australian Government. Called COVIDSafe, the voluntary app is now available for Australians to download for Android and iOS. It works by keeping an encrypted log of the people you have been in close contact with, aiming to help health authorities more quickly trace potential positive COVID-19 cases and contain community outbreaks. To do this, the app, once downloaded, asks you to input four pieces of information: your mobile phone number, your name, your age range and your postcode. Then, if you're in contact with someone else who has the app for more than approximately 15 minutes and within less than 1.5 metres, it will via a 'bluetooth handshake' collect that person's encrypted app user ID, the date and time of contact and their bluetooth signal strength. Nothing happens to this data unless you're diagnosed with COVID-19. If you are, you'll be contacted by a state or territory public health official and you'll have to consent a second time before the data is sent to a national data store, which can only be accessed by health officials. If you're not diagnosed with COVID-19, the data on your app is deleted after 21 days. If you come into close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 21 days, and they consent to sharing their app data to the national store, a state or territory health official will give you a call, so you can self-isolate and get tested [caption id="attachment_768682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] COVIDSafe[/caption] According to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, the information on the app is protected both physically and by law. It's encrypted and Hunt has "already signed into law on behalf of the government a biosecurity act and determination, which prevents access and ensures the data has to be kept on an Australian server". "It cannot leave the country. It cannot be accessed by anybody other than a state public health official," Hunt said in a press conference today. "It cannot be used for any purpose other than the provision of the data for the purposes of finding people with whom you have been in close contact with, and it is punishable by jail if there is a breach of that." The app also does not use geolocation and the Australian Government has also published a privacy policy statement for the app on its website. But there are some still some concerns about the app's privacy and security. In a joint statement released this afternoon, the Digital Rights Watch, Human Rights Law Centre and Centre for Responsible Technology urged the Australian Government to "fill in obvious gaps in the development of the tracing technology". "The tracing app will only be effective if enough Australians feel confident downloading and using it," the joint statement said. "However the alliance believes that won't happen unless the Morrison Government answers outstanding questions about the safety and privacy of Australians' information." Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously stated that the app would be effective if at least 40 percent of Australian downloaded it, while Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy today said he considered "a good uptake" as well over half of Australians. COVIDSafe is now available to download for Android and iOS. To find out more head to the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Created by Jim Henson, first seen on TV in the 50s and boasting eight movies to their name, The Muppets are easily the most loveable felt and foam creations in pop culture history. They're also the driving force behind the best variety television series that's ever reached the small screen: The Muppet Show, which ran for five seasons between 1976–81. Forget all those other efforts hosted by humans over the years, because nothing is as absurd, surreal and delightful as this puppet-fuelled program. And, whether you grew up watching reruns over and over, have always wanted to check it out or somehow weren't aware that the series even existed, it's coming to Disney+ in full from Friday, February 19. Yes, it's time to play the music and light the lights — and to revisit this Muppets-starring favourite. You won't just be checking out the comic stylings of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and the Swedish Chef (and their songs and skits, too), of course. The Muppet Show is also famed for its guest appearances, so get set to spy everyone from Elton John and Mark Hamill to Martin, Liza Minnelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Diana Ross and Gene Kelly. The streaming platform is already home to a host of other Muppets-related fare — including the most recent 2011 and 2014 movies — so The Muppet Show will easily slot into the Mouse House's streaming catalogue. And, although we're sure you now already have The Muppet Show's theme tune stuck in your head, here's a clip of its opening credits anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zaQgbACc1E All five seasons of The Muppet Show will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, February 19. Top image: The Muppets, Scott Garfield.
The Australia Day debate will be well and truly in the spotlight at a star-studded stand-up comedy gig this January 26. Emceed by Judith Lucy and Uncle Jack Charles, the Reconciliation Comedy Gala will feature a who's who of Aussie comedians raising money for a worthwhile cause. Expect plenty of laughs — some of them fairly uncomfortable — as a roster of funny folk tackle the furore around our divisive national day. The gala kicks off at 2.30pm at Malthouse Theatre in Southbank. Wil Anderson, Tom Ballard, Anne Edmonds and Hannah Gadsby are but a few of the comedians who'll take the stage that afternoon, alongside performers from the Koori Youth Will Shake Spears Dance Group. Proceeds from the gala will go to the City of Yarra's Stolen Generations Marker project. The artist commissioned to create the monument, which will pay tribute to the Stolen Generations, will be announced at the event.
Sample the very best the Barossa Valley has to offer at a day-long food and wine event in North Melbourne this July. Billed as a showcase of one of the country's greatest wine regions, Barossa: Be Consumed is being put together by the folks at Bottle Shop Concepts, the same team behind Game of Rhones and Pinot Palooza. More than 40 different wineries are expected to take part, including Sons of Eden, Henschke, and Hentley Farm, showcasing over 140 styles of tipples. In addition to the boozers — which will include beer, gin and cider from the region, too — a number of food producers will take part, slinging everything from pickles to cured meats to ice cream. They'll also participate in a number of free 'conversation sessions', designed to give punters a new found appreciation for what the region has to offer.
Yoga, bars, markets, bed and breakfast-style wizarding schools, parties — if you're a muggle looking for more Harry Potter magic in your life, there's no shortage of options. Add this new New York pasta restaurant to the list. At Pasta Wiz, you'll be slurping spaghetti as you're spying a sorting hat out of the corner of your eye, all while sitting in a HP-inspired enchanted lair. Think chandeliers and candles too, in what's hoped will be the first venue in a potential chain if there's enough interest. Given that the book and film side of things doesn't really seem to be slowing down (we have four more Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies to watch, remember; and, 2017 marks 20 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published), you'd think locals and tourists alike will be dropping in. It's not just the decor that's designed to make customers feel bewitched, though; or dishes with names like Magic Meatballs, Dragon's Blood (a mango, raspberry and strawberry smoothie) and the Dark Lord (a liquid mix of avocado, cacao, cashews and agave), plus four types of potions (aka juice blends). It's also the speed of the service. According to the Pasta Wiz website, their meals only require three minutes to make, on average. Perhaps the chefs have a time-turner? https://www.instagram.com/p/BO6YL37AI56/?taken-by=pastawiz Via Gothamist.
Melbourne's summer festival calendar scored a wild and wonderful new addition with the announcement of Can't Do Tomorrow. Taking over the warehouses of Kensington's famed underground space The Facility, the new street art festival will dish up a dynamic festival of contemporary culture from February 20–29, 2020. And it's just announced its big boundary-pushing program. A melting pot of creativity, music, discussion and art, the ten-day fiesta promises to be immersive, eclectic and entirely thought-provoking. A lineup of more than 100 artists, galleries, crews and collectives will transform the former wool stores into a large-scale smorgasbord of urban art for you to feast on, interact with, experience and even buy. Organisers are even describing it as "an outlandish Eden". Headlining the event will be a giant hand-painted boat floating in a shipping container by Archibald Prize finalist and Melbourne artist Michael Peck. Elsewhere on the program, new media artist Nick Azidis will take over the exterior walls and tunnel of The Facility with mind-bending projections, UK artist Mysterios Al will transform an area into a multi-dimensional work with "hidden secrets" and street artist Kaffeine's Infinite Thanks will celebrate LGBTQI+ icons with paintings and stories inside a shrine, which you'll also be able to add your own offerings to. [caption id="attachment_752914" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Milk Bar by Callum Preston[/caption] Callum Preston — who's behind Melbourne's famed milk bar installation, above — will also create a new immersive work inspired by 80s gangster movies. You'll feel like you've stepped into Scarface as you walk through and touch the piece. Street artists Ruskidd, Jason Parker, Unwell Bunny, LucyLucy, David Hooke, Steve Leadbeater and Heesco are some of the other big names announced today, with the full program set to drop in January. As well as looking at (and contributing to) the artists' works, you'll be able to chat to them, thanks to a series of talks and workshops. Rone, who recently transformed a deserted 30s mansion into a haunting installation earlier this year, is one of the artists who'll be sharing their tips. To round out the festivities, there'll also be live music, pop-up food stalls and bars and warehouse parties at Tallows Club, which will be open until 1am throughout the festival. Can't Do Tomorrow will take over The Facility, at 2R Chelmsford St, Kensington, from February 20 to 29, 2020. Tickets are on sale now. The full program is slated to drop in January — we'll let you know when it does. Images: The Facility by Alex Jovanovic
Here's one for all you Tolkien fans out there. A go-getting housing company are now selling prefabricated homes that wouldn't look out of place in The Shire. Made from fibre-reinforced polymer shells that are then covered in soil, Green Magic Homes are the closest thing you'll get to living in an actual hobbit-hole. Now hand us the pipe-weed. Constructed from pre-made vaulted panels, the dome-like residences are designed to be eco-friendly and energy efficient, and can be easily assembled by just about anyone. Pre-made components can be screwed together based on the desired shape and size of the home under construction, with a three bedroom house requiring only five to six days and three people to build. Once the house has been put together, it's completely covered in soil, stabilising the structure and providing natural insulation, as well as giving it that classic Hobbiton circa the end of the Third Age feel. You can plant a garden, or even trees, atop your hillside homestead — just watch out for wandering roots. According to the Magic Green Homes website, the modules are fully waterproof, suitable for hot and cold climates, are earthquake and hurricane resistant, and can be expected to last several lifetime of use. As long as the Sackville-Bagginses don't get their greedy hands on it. For more information about Green Magic Homes, check out the delightfully cheesy promo video, below. Via Inhabitat.
The NGV is transforming into a teen-only zone for one night only on Saturday, August 9, hosting the latest instalment of its 'NGV Teens: Art Party' events. With the NGV International staying open after hours, the evening has been designed for teens by teens in collaboration with the NGV Teen Council, offering full access to both the French Impressionism and Kimono exhibitions. Activating numerous spaces throughout the gallery, guests can also expect a youthful combination of art, music, social connection and hands-on workshops. Setting the tone for the night, the NGV Great Hall will feature a boundary-pushing live DJ set by Rainbow Chan, a much-loved Hong Kong-Australian musician and visual artist. Meanwhile, several interactive experiences will level up the night. Leading textiles artist Louise Meuwissen will host a wearable beaded flower workshop inspired by flamboyant French fashion. Plus, a dedicated glitter station makes it easy for teens to customise their look, drawing inspiration from master artists like Monet, Degas and Renoir. There's also the chance to snap pics in a dreamy photobook set within Olaf Breuning's Plans for the Planet exhibition. Then, Alliance Française will build upon the evening's loose Francophile theme by hosting drop-in French friendship sessions. Here, guests can brush up on their linguistics and maybe even make a new pal in the process. Images: Nick Robertson / Eugene Hyland.
This winter, Bangarra Dance Theatre is returning to the stage with its striking work SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert, off the back of a popular second run in Sydney. Debuted last year, it marks the company's first new production since Australia's pandemic closures, now hitting Arts Centre Melbourne from Wednesday, August 24–Saturday, September 3. Set in Walmajarri Country, which spans the Great Sandy Desert and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, this powerful performance explores the displacement and survival of First Nations people in this part of Australia, particularly between the 1920–1960s. It draws on compelling stories of the past, while looking towards a new Indigenous future. Artistic Director Stephen Page and Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings have choreographed this breathtaking work in consultation with Wangkajunga and Walmajarri Elders, reaffirming Bangarra's position as the leading performing arts company for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Following the show's Melbourne run, it'll head to Bendigo's Ulumbarra Theatre, before setting off on a monthlong regional Australia tour. Images: Daniel Boud
Crime thrillers set against the Australian landscape. A monstrous figure terrorising a woman and her son. The return of a famed action franchise. An outback western as blistering as it is beautiful. They all rank among the best homegrown films of the past few years — but what'll join them in 2019? Perhaps it'll be one of these ten must-sees. The year ahead promises another diverse array of Aussie cinema, spanning local outlaws, dystopian sci-fi worlds and Northern Territory-set romantic comedies — and, of course, plenty in-between. Some, we've seen. Others, we can't wait to feast our eyes on. Either way, we have your Australian watch-list covered for the next twelve months. THE NIGHTINGALE Jennifer Kent's second feature is a film of darkness, visceral shocks and deep-seated pain. It's a movie that, from the moment its probing images start flickering across the screen, is impossible to forget. And yet, The Nightingale couldn't be more different from Kent's directorial debut, The Babadook. Set in 19th-century Tasmania and charting an Irish convict's (Aisling Franciosi) mission of revenge against a British soldier (an astonishing against-type Sam Claflin) — as well as the perilous trek, guided by an Aboriginal tracker (Baykali Ganambarr), to fulfil her furious task — Kent's exceptional sophomore film is a stunning statement about gender and race that hits hard, and often. Finally set to release in 2019, if the movie sounds familiar, that's because it made our 2018 list as well. Australian release date TBC. TOP END WEDDING After The Sapphires proved such an enormous success back in 2012, filmmaker Wayne Blair is once again joining forces with radiant star Miranda Tapsell — and this time, the latter's also co-writing the script. Premiering at Sundance this year before hitting local screens at a yet-to-be-revealed date, Top End Wedding follows couple Lauren (Tapsell) and Ned (Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee), who are just ten days out from tying the knot. The hitch? They have to find Lauren's mother in the Northern Territory first, in this upbeat comedy set against a striking, sunny backdrop. In Australian cinemas May 2, 2019. I AM MOTHER Also headed to Sundance is dystopian sci-fi thriller I Am Mother, a film that seems familiar, story-wise, but definitely finds its own niche. Set to make a star out of its Danish lead Clara Rugaard, Grant Sputore's movie introduces viewers to a girl who has been raised in a high-tech underground bunker by a supremely intelligent robot she calls Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne). Then a stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives, and an already bleak and twisty effort delves further into its premise. I Am Mother screened as a work in progress at the 2018 Adelaide Film Festival to packed cinemas — and it's certain to garner more attention when it properly reaches Aussie theatres. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygfTbGmKRd0 HOTEL MUMBAI Primarily shot in Adelaide, and featuring an all-star cast of Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Jason Isaacs, Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi, Hotel Mumbai recreates the terrifying reality of Mumbai's 2008 terrorist attacks. Largely focusing on the plight of those inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel — guests, employees and assailants alike — it's an understandably tense experience. Anthony Maras' effort should also ring a few bells and not just from real-life events, with the film another holdover from our 2018 list. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, it's set to play at Australian theatres in March. In Australian cinemas March 14, 2019. RIDE LIKE A GIRL For her first feature as a director, Rachel Griffiths takes on a sport that the country has very mixed feelings about: horse racing. But while movies about galloping around tracks aren't that uncommon in Aussie film industry, Ride Like a Girl's focus is all there in its name. Starring Berlin Syndrome's Teresa Palmer, the movie tells the tale of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. With Sam Neill and Sullivan Stapleton also among the cast, Griffiths hasn't wasted any time bringing the story to the screen, given that Payne emerged victorious in the race that stops the nation in 2015. Australian release date TBC. EMU RUNNER A small film with a big heart, Emu Runner steps into the world of nine-year-old Gem Daniels (Rhae-Kye Waites), whose quiet but happy life is torn apart by tragedy. To both her father (Wayne Blair) and the local social worker's (Georgia Blizzard) dismay, the girl starts skipping school and wandering around town — and, as often as she can, spending time in the presence of a wild emu that's forever linked to memories of her mother. Lovingly canvassing the outback landscape, writer-director Imogen Thomas crafts an affectionate film about a child trying to find her place in the world. But the film makes a sharp statement too, interrogating the clash between white and Indigenous Australian cultures, as well as the stereotypes perpetuated by the former towards the later. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_559597" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Goldstone[/caption] LOVELAND With Mystery Road and Goldstone, Ivan Sen gave Australia two fantastic outback crime thrillers. With Loveland, however, he's plunging into vastly different territory. Shooting in Hong Kong and starring Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten (and, we hope, Aaron Pedersen in there somewhere), Sen's new effort is a sci-fi romance set in a futuristic Chinese mega-city. The details are sparse from there, but given the writer/director/producer/editor/cinematographer/composer's track record — including a barely seen 2009 film about UFO hunting called Dreamland — there's plenty of cause for excitement. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702900" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] For Those in Peril[/caption] THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG Two out of three is a fantastic hit rate for a filmmaker who has only been making features since 2011. And while the less said about Assassin's Creed, the better, here's hoping that Justin Kurzel's The True History of the Kelly Gang lines up alongside the simply stunning duo that is Snowtown and Macbeth. Working with Peter Carey's novel of the same name, the Aussie director has certainly assembled a stellar cast to help relay this bushranger tale. English talent George MacKay (11.22.63, Pride, For Those in Peril) plays infamous outlaw Ned Kelly, while he's joined by fellow Brits Charlie Hunnam and Nicholas Hoult, Leave No Trace's Thomasin McKenzie, and local standouts Claudia Karvan, Essie Davis and Russell Crowe. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702905" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Puzzle[/caption] DIRT MUSIC Another year, another Tim Winton adaptation. After the success of Breath, 2019 sees fellow Miles Franklin Award-winner Dirt Music make its way to cinemas. Unsurprisingly, a small town and the sea both play a part, with the narrative exploring a woman's (Kelly Macdonald) strained relationship with a fisherman (David Wenham), as well as the stranger (Garrett Hedlund) that she starts an affair with. Gregor Jordan — aka the last Aussie director to take on Ned Kelly — sits in the director's chair, while Aaron Pedersen and Julia Stone (yes, that Julia Stone) also feature among the cast. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BwO2I3-mRA&feature=youtu.be 2040 What will the world look like in just over two decades time? Let That Sugar Film's Damon Gameau inform you. He ate unhealthily for his last documentary, and now he's pondering the future in a film that's part doco, part visual letter. While the actor-turned-filmmaker hasn't picked up psychic abilities from all of that sugar, he has enlisted experts in climate, economics, technology, civil society, agriculture and sustainability to help with 2040. As with his last effort, it's a movie not only focused on telling a tale and educating the public, but also on making a difference. Australian release date TBC.
There are few film festival experiences as fun as spending four days camped out at Marrickville's Factory Theatre during the Sydney Underground Film Festival. Attending this fest in-person involves hopping in and out of its makeshift cinemas, watching all manner of out-there and indie movies you won't see elsewhere, and spending plenty of time at the bar chatting about what you've just seen — and, whether you're a diehard cinephile and festival devotee, you're just sick of watching mainstream fare or it purely sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, it's a total and utter delight. SUFF isn't playing out quite like this at the moment, however, for obvious reasons. Moving online for the second year in a row, it's hosting its 2021 edition virtually. Thankfully, while no one can enjoy the physical side of the fest between Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26, SUFF has brought its usual anarchic vibe to its 30-film program — all of which is now available to stream, and nationally as well. Get ready for affectionate documentaries, weird and wild features that just keep getting weirder and more wonderful, and pretty much everything in-between, all while getting cosy on your own couch. And if you've not sure where to start, we've watched, picked and reviewed seven highlights from SUFF's 15th annual program. There's your viewing sorted for the next fortnight or so. POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHÉ Add Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché to the list of exceptional music documentaries — and yes, that observation can end there and prove 100-percent accurate. That said, this excellent film also belongs among the ranks of standout docos about famous musicians that serve multiple purposes. For existing fans of Marianne Elliott-Said, the punk singer who fronted late-70s band X-Ray Spex, this is an unflinching love letter that dives into every facet of her life. Covered here: her rise to stardom at a pivotal time in music history, the way she was treated as a British Somali woman, her efforts to subvert every standard that applied to women and public figures, and the toll it all took. As co-written, co-directed and guided on-screen by her daughter Celeste Bell — as an act of embracing everything her mother was and stood for — the film also demonstrates again and again why its title couldn't be further from the reality. For newcomers to the woman best known under her stage name Poly Styrene (which she picked from the phone book), this loving feature acts as an entry point, too. Like fellow outstanding music doco The Sparks Brothers, it'll give some of its audience a new obsession. Via voice snippets rather than talking heads, the likes of Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore also offer their memories of and insights into all things Poly, but Bell and her co-helmer Paul Sng (Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain) understandably push their bold, rebellious and inimitable central figure to the fore at all times — including via riveting archival footage, as well as potent and emotional snippets from her diaries and poems. WONDERFUL PARADISE No one will finish Wonderful Paradise wondering what writer/director Masashi Yamamoto (The Voice of Water) and co-screenwriter Suzuyuki Kaneko might've left out of their script. The pair throw everything they can into this absurdist Japanese comedy, and it shows — because this is the type of movie where giant coffee beans get ravenous, children segue from projectile vomiting to transforming into branches, pregnancies last around 20 minutes, and parties become funerals, then turn into big song-and-dance numbers. The premise: at a house in suburban Tokyo, Akane (Mayu Ozawa, The Happy Prisoner), her father (Seikô Itô, We Are Little Zombies) and her brother (Soran Tamoto, I Turn) are packing up their belongings. For financial reasons that involve big debts and shady figures who are keen to collect, they're moving out of the sprawling abode. But Akane decides to host one last party and, after she tweets out the details, friends, relatives and strangers alike — including her estranged mother Akiko (Kaho Minami, Oh Lucy!) — all start popping up. From there, anything that can happen does. Indeed, sharing the same kind of manic energy that also made fellow low-budget Japanese flick One Cut of the Dead a delight, this plays like a hallucinatory mind trip more than a movie. That isn't a criticism of Wonderful Paradise; this is just a film that sweeps you along for a strange and surreal ride, satirises everything it can while also making plenty of savvy statements, careens off in weird and wonderful directions, and also makes you adore every minute. LORELEI Following an ex-felon who has just been released from a 15-year prison stint, as well as his former teenage sweetheart, Lorelei isn't in a rush to unfurl its dramas and dive to its deepest depths. Marking the feature debut of Sabrina Doyle, it's the type of film that needs that space and 111-minute running time to grow and breathe, and to build up to its surprises — and to earn the emotional journey that its standout lead performances slowly but commandingly convey at every moment. Orange Is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber plays Waylan, a small-town biker who didn't snitch when he was sent up for armed robbery. Keeping quiet cost him not only a decade and a half of his life, but his romance with Dolores (Jena Malone, Antebellum). His incarceration has saw their shared dreams dissolve, too, and led Dolores to have three children with other men since. The pair reunite after Waylan is released, crossing paths purely in passing. Quickly, staring into each other's eyes brings back old feelings, and also conjures up new regrets about the existence they always thought they'd lead together. Doyle is as concerned about the precarious situation that Dolores and her children Dodger (first-timer Chancellor Perry), Periwinkle (fellow newcomer Amelia Borgerding) and Denim (debutant Parker Pascoe-Sheppard) have endured over the years as she is with Waylan's route forward, and much of Lorelei thoughtfully dwells on the stark realities facing all of its characters. Indeed, there's not just empathy but a sense of rawness here — including when the film endeavours to leap into sunnier waters. ALIEN ON STAGE It's one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, and always will be. It spawned three sequels and two prequels over the course of four decades and, while many of those have been stellar themselves, it still remains the best film there is with xenomorphs at its centre. It made Sigourney Weaver not just a star but a legend, too — and, thanks to an amateur stage version of the iconic flick that was initially staged in Dorset, then hit London's West End, it gave a group of British bus drivers their time in the spotlight as well. The movie in question: Alien. It mightn't seem suited to the theatre, but that didn't stop Dave Mitchell and his friends. When they decided to turn the film into a stage production, they put their hearts and souls into it, and Alien On Stage tells their story. The show turns out exactly as you'd expect with a non-professional cast and crew at the helm, and with homemade props recreating the Nostromo and its unwanted stowaway. The same description applies to his loving documentary — because this is a movie made by fans, about a stage show made by fans, and the end result leans into all of those layers of affection. Back in 1979, Ridley Scott mightn't have ever imagined that his sci-fi/horror film could spawn this level of devotion, or give this much happiness to folks trying to follow in his footsteps — and to a room full of immensely entertained Leicester Square Theatre attendees, too. That's just one of the things that Alien has spawned, and everyone can hear this movie's screams of joy. SWEETIE, YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT When Arman (Azamat Marklenov) and Murat (Erlan Primbetov) pick up Dastan (Daniar Alshinov, A Dark, Dark Man) for a day of fishing in Sweetie, You Won't Believe It, they're just trying to gift him one last moment away from his responsibilities. His girlfriend Zhanna (Asel Kaliyeva, The Secret of a Leader) is about to give birth to his first child, and this film subscribes to the idea that parenthood means kissing goodbye your old self. But, the trio have never cast a line into the water before. That's the excuse they've used to head away, though, so they decide to stick with it. They're soon fashioning a boat out of blow-up sex toys, but that's far from the worst that their day trip to regional Kazakhstan has in store. As they're floating and not really fishing, they witness gun-slinging gangsters (Alamat Sakatov, Yerkubulan Daiyrov and Rustem Zhaniyamanov) attempting to squeeze information out of another man in a violent fashion — and, soon, Dastan and his pals find themselves being pursued by the ruthless criminals as well. Then, complicating matters even further, a one-eyed, jaw-ripping psychopath (Dulgya Akmolda) on a quest for vengeance starts targeting everyone in sight. Sweetie, You Won't Believe It doesn't take any of its various parts seriously, thankfully. It's one part buddy getaway comedy, one part western slapstick, one part secluded horror and one part gory gangster flick, and it loves seesawing back and forth between all four. It also has ample fun satirising prevailing ideas of masculinity amidst the blood, guts and over-the-top silliness. CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUEST When The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters chronicled Steve Wiebe's attempt to earn Donkey Kong's highest score ever — and oust Billy Mitchell from retaining that title in the process — it turned a slice of the gaming world into one of the must-see documentaries of the early 2000s. Well over a decade later, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest mashes similar buttons, this time focusing on the eponymous Danish Gyruss devotee and his dream of clocking up 100 consecutive hours playing the 80s game. If successful, Kim aka Cannon Arm won't just claim the world record for his favourite shoot-'em-up title. Standing in an arcade for more than four days straight (with some canny plans around how to eat, nap and go to the bathroom, if you're wondering how that all works), he'd smash the existing feat by a whopping 41 hours. Sporting a greying mullet and noted for his lack of conversation, Kim himself approaches the possibility with few words; however, his friends and fellow games are eager to do anything they can to assist his quest. As this doco charts, achieving this kind of milestone isn't straightforward. Yes, Kim's health is considered in detail as first-time feature filmmaker Mads Hedegaard — who narrates as well — explains. All that gaming isn't the only focus of the documentary, though, with Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest smartly diving into what draws Kim and his Bip Bip Bar mates to their preferred pastime, what else they're fascinated with in their lives, and how gaming both parallels their other interests and provides a respite from their daily lives. DANNY. LEGEND. GOD. If there's one thing that Bulgarian councillor Danny (Dimo Alexiev, A Hidden Life) isn't lacking, it's confidence. He isn't short on arrogance, either, or on the impulses needed to take the most corrupt, abhorrent, self-serving option at any possible juncture — and he's extremely unpleasant to be around even in small bursts. Danny is also the titular figure in mockumentary Danny. Legend. God., so he demonstrates his worst traits over and over, and for an extended period. First-time filmmaker Yavor Petkov wants viewers to feel uncomfortable, in fact, because that's the natural reaction to seeing someone who's little more than a crook throw their weight about in a position of power, care only about themselves and have zero regard for the long-term repercussions for everyone in their orbit. In other words, this is a film that proves particularly piercing given the current global political climate. It's darkly humorous, but in a savage, biting, only-two-degrees-removed-from-reality way. And if you're wondering why Danny is in the spotlight — and why Alexiev puts in quite the committed performance in the part — that's because the film revolves around a news crew visiting the character's home town to capture and ideally expose his wrongdoing. What starts out as an attempt to make a documentary about money laundering soon gets hijacked by their subject, though, as Danny demands that his freewheeling life is captured exactly how he wants it — no matter what he's doing, or snorting, or the cost of his actions. The 2021 Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26. For further details, or to watch online, head to the festival's website.
If there's one reason why art-loving Melburnians should take a road trip to Nagambie — a pretty, lakeside town 90 minutes north — it's Mitchelton Winery. In June 2018, this epic estate casually opened the biggest commercial Aboriginal art gallery in Australia. Once you've taken your fill, head further afield for adventures on Tahblik Lagoon, boating escapades on Nagambie Lakes and hearty local eats, including woodfired pizza overlooking stunning landscaped gardens. To help you plan, we've partnered with Mitsubishi in celebration of its new Eclipse Cross to bring you an art-filled itinerary for your next weekend escape to Nagambie. [caption id="attachment_684792" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art.[/caption] SEE AND DO Your first stop is The Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art at Mitchelton Winery. With painting, drawing and sculpture from more than 15 communities, this collection is an artistic journey across Australia, taking in some of its most far-flung art centres. Look out for The Message Stick Vehicle, a Vietnam War ambulance-turned-totemic symbol of unity and peace, created by 200+ artists, as well as monumental paintings by the late Yannima Tommy Watson, Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi and George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi. Next up is an adventure through 19th-century architecture at Noorilim Estate, a ten minutes' drive north of Nagambie near Murchison. This magnificent mansion, designed by James Gall, features a grand hall, ten bedrooms, 15 fireplaces and seven staircases, surrounded by 20 acres of ornamental gardens and 75 acres of vineyards. Then, another 30 minutes north is the Shepparton Art Museum, home to one of Australia's largest ceramics collections, plus contemporary works by Patricia Piccinini, Matthew Griffin, David Noonan and Tracey Moffatt, among others. [caption id="attachment_691035" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Winery.[/caption] Back in Nagambie, swing by La Galerie to peruse a private collection of antiques, collectables, jewellery and local crafts in a former colonial bank built in 1873. Then, climb to Jacobson's Lookout to get up close with a life-size sculpture of local-born hero Black Caviar, the fastest horse in the world. Backdropped by Nagambie Lakes, this creation is most spectacular at sunset — consider arming yourself with a picnic. Once you've art-ed to your heart's content, it's time to explore the great outdoors. At Tahblik Lagoon, accessible via Tahblik Winery, a six-kilometre trail weaves through a fragile ecosystem of wetlands and creeks. If you're good at keeping quiet, you maybe be able to spot platypuses, koalas and members of Australia's southernmost freshwater catfish community. An alternative perspective can be gained on an Eco Cruise, or hire a tinnie and captain your own adventure on Nagambie Lakes. [caption id="attachment_691036" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Winery.[/caption] EAT Right next to The Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art is The Muse Restaurant. Here, executive chef Daniel Hawkins forages wild blackberries, walnuts and whatever other edibles he can find, before transforming them into decadent dishes, like Sevens Creek Wagyu steak with Higgins olive oil roll, onion jam and basil or Cone Bay barramundi with fried tomato, lettuce and tarragon aioli. Match your pick with a shiraz, cab sav or marsanne from the cellar door. At Tahblik Winery — aforementioned gateway to Tahblik Lagoon — a modern cafe overlooks the wetlands. On a cool day, enjoy the view from the stunning red gum-framed interior through glass doors; when it's warm, claim a table on the deck, where you'll be well protected by vast umbrellas. The comforting, seasonal menu offers dishes like braised pork belly with apple-vanilla puree, braised green lentils, butter poached leeks and crispy sage. Leave yourself time to visit Tahblik's underground cellar, built in the 1860s, and maybe have a crack at blending your own wine. [caption id="attachment_684880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bank Street Pizza.[/caption] Another spot with gorgeous views is Bank Street in Avenel, a little town 20 minutes southeast. Tuck into woodfired pizza while gazing at pretty landscaped gardens or, on chilly afternoons, stay inside, beside the roaring fireplace. Among the pizza offerings are Michelle's Magic Mushroom, loaded with local mushrooms, porcini, smoked scarmoza (an Italian, semi-soft, cow's milk cheese), truffle oil and mozzarella, as well as the King Kamehameha, which takes the old Hawaiian to the next level, with tomato, smoked leg ham, pineapple and mozzarella. Also in Avenel is Fowles Wine. Soak up sweeping vistas of the Victoria Plains while sampling affordable award-winning wines, such as the 2015 Are You Game? cab sav, which took out the Kemenys Perpetual Trophy for Best Value Dry Red Table Wine at the Sydney International Wine Competition. The cafe serves up simple, generous dishes driven by local produce, including baked semolina with local mushrooms, gorgonzola and rocket pesto. [caption id="attachment_648237" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Hotel.[/caption] STAY To completely immerse yourself in art and wine, sleep over at Mitchelton Winery's luxurious boutique hotel, opened in 2017. Designed by the internationally acclaimed Hecker Guthrie, each room surrounds you in soothing, earthy tones, bathed in natural light. Choose between views over the Goulburn River or the vineyards — either way, you'll have plenty of privacy on your own balcony, as well as access to the hotel's glorious 20-metre infinity pool. Should serious relaxation be on the agenda, ask for a room with a deep-soak bathtub. [caption id="attachment_680558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thornbridge Guesthouse.[/caption] A more historical — yet still luxe — experience is Thornebridge, a heritage-listed Victorian guesthouse in Murchison, a 20 minutes' drive north of Nagambie. Owners Clare O'Reilly and Tim Linton spent 21 years renovating this beauty before opening it to the public. Whichever of the four rooms you choose, you'll be lazing about in a solid timber queen-sized bed, reading in a cast iron bath and generally marvelling at the fact that you've just walked into a Jane Austen novel. Alternatively, get cosy in Avenel after feasting on woodfired pizza at the Bank Street Cottage. This super-cute hideaway comes with an open fire, shady verandah, polished floors, gardens and room for up to five guests across two bedrooms. Starting at $101 a night for two (or one, why not?), it's a steal. Where to next? Make the most of every week with Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and navigate to your next destination here.
Spring is back, so the likes of bananas, blueberries, mangoes, watermelons and cherries are at their most delicious. And in the latter's case, you're invited to hand-select your own, as the annual Cherry Picking Season returns to CherryHill Orchards, stretching through the height of summer. Set amid the Yarra Valley, this special ticketed event invites guests to roam either Coldstream or Wandin East properties, plucking all-you-can-eat cherries fresh from the rows of trees. Once you've gathered enough, spread out a picnic in the sun to soak up the scenic grounds. Whether you make the trip an hour from Melbourne solo, or with friends and family in tow, this is also a stellar chance to visit CherryHill Orchard's farmgate store and cafe. Here, visitors will find fresh fruit, cherry-laced ice cream, refreshing drinks, sweet treats and more ripe with farm-grown goodness. With these cherry-growing experts producing over 40 different varieties depending on the season, the boxes of produce up for sale feature only the plumpest, juiciest fruit available. Ready to experience a tree-to-plate experience? Tickets for the 2025/2026 season are now available, running from Friday, November 7–Sunday, January 4.
What do you get the person who has drunk everything? Or someone who is partial to a sip of gin, but also likes vodka and whiskey? Just in time for the festive season, Archie Rose has launched its solution to this common Christmas dilemma: a pocket-sized collection featuring three of its most popular spirits. Now available to pre-order (with shipments despatched from Thursday, November 29), the Archie Rose 200ml Tasting Set includes mini bottles of the distillery's signature dry gin, original vodka and white rye. If you're new to the company's tipples, they're all award-winners. The gin boasts tastes of native Australian botanicals, such as blood lime, Dorrigo pepperleaf, lemon myrtle and river mint; the vodka comes with apple and mint notes; and the rye is made from rare malted rye and barley, and has a buttery, smokey flavour. Whether you're buying someone else a present — or buying one for yourself, because everyone deserves to get themselves something nice when the end of the year hits — all three come in a gift box for $89. And, they help resolve another frequent boozy problem: when you feel like a gin and tonic, followed by a martini and then a whiskey cocktail, but you don't want to buy three big bottles. To pre-order the Archie Rose 200ml Tasting Set, visit the Archie Rose website.
With Australia's craft beer scene going gangbusters and innovative new local drops hitting the shelves every week, it can be hard to keep track of what's worth buying. But if you fancy scouting out some winners, The Independent Beer Awards, affectionately known as The Indies, is a decent place to start. The Aussie awards just announced its top beer picks for 2019, after a team of judges drank their way through a record-breaking 1017 beers from 147 Australian breweries. The scoreless competition awards gold, silver, bronze and no medal across a range of categories, rather than the usual numerical quantification or points system. And what better than this expertly chosen lineup of winners to inform your springtime beer hit-list? The triple dry-hopped double Red Eye Rye imperial red ale from Carrum Downs' Dainton Brewery took out top honours, claiming the coveted title of Champion Australian Independent Beer. Better get that one in your fridge, stat. Meanwhile, the most celebrated venues included Victoria's 3 Ravens, named Champion Independent Australian Brewery in the small/medium category; Fixation Brewing Co, taking out the large category counterpart; and All Hands Brewing House at Sydney's King Street Wharf, which was bestowed the title of Champion Australian Independent Brewpub. State brewery winners included SA's Mismatch Brewing Co, the ACT's Bentspoke, Gage Roads from WA, 3 Ravens in Vic and Sydney's All Hands Brewing House. The Gold Coast's Balter Brewing Company was named Queensland State Champion, after its XPA took out top honours at GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list earlier this year for the second time in a row. Among The Indies' list of top brews in each style, you'll find a beer for just about every palate. There's the spring-perfect Surry Hills Pils from Sydney Brewery, which claimed the title of Champion Lager; Modus Operandi's big, bold Former Tenant as Champion IPA; and named Champion Session Beer, the Piss-Weak Sauce by Marrickville's Sauce Brewing Co. Also on the list are the Champion Porter/Stout — the Bunker by Collingwood's Stomping Ground — the Champion Pale Ale from Mismatch and the Champion European-Style Ale, claimed by Bright Brewery's Razor Witbier. You can check out the full list of The Indies' 2019 winners over at the website.
UPDATE, February 15, 2024: Supernormal Brisbane is now set to open in 2024. Head to the Supernormal website for further details. Big culinary names making a move to southeast Queensland: now that's a trend that Sunshine State residents love to see. In just the past couple of months, Guy Grossi has announced plans to open an Amalfi-inspired restaurant in Brisbane, and Hong Kong's Michelin-starred cantonese restaurant T'ang Court just launched on the Gold Coast. The latest eatery that's set to join them: Melbourne's famed Supernormal. Acclaimed chef Andrew McConnell has revealed that Supernormal will launch a second location in 443 Queen Street, Brisbane, in a new residential tower that's due to open in late 2023. It'll sit on the riverfront, and boast views of the Brisbane River and the Story Bridge — and also be perched between the Queen Street Mall and Howard Smith Wharves. "There is a special combination of relationship, location, environment and architecture at 443 Queen Street that we are seriously excited to be a part of," said McConnell, announcing the news via Trader House — the collective that spans his restaurants, specialty retail stores and events. "For the past seven years, we've welcomed many interstate and international guests to Supernormal in Melbourne. Now, we look forward to contributing to Brisbane's already growing and vibrant food scene." "There's also a bounty of some of the country's best produce available. What a thrill to be able to explore this as we refine our offering," McConnell continued. Supernormal Brisbane marks Trader House's first venue beyond its Melbourne base, and will seat around 120 diners both inside and out — including in a private dining setup. While it's obviously too early to reveal the menu, the Brisbane restaurant will feature a hefty focus on Queensland produce and seafood, while plating up contemporary Australian dishes that also take inspiration from McConnell's time in both Hong Kong and Shanghai. Fingers crossed that Melbourne's marinated claims, New England lobster rolls, Hunan-style beef tartare and whole roasted flounder make the jump. On architectural and interior design duties: Vince Alafaci and Caroline Choker of Sydney's ACME, with the agency also working on the design of Melbourne's Gimlet at Cavendish House — the only Australian venue to make the longlist in 2022 for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, coming in in 84th position. Brisbanites can expect Supernormal Brisbane to link in with the Brisbane Riverwalk precinct — 'tis the location for it — and operate seven days a week, including offering an all-day dining menu. The new venue will start welcoming in patrons 22 years after McConnell opened his first restaurant, Dining Room 211, in Melbourne in 2001. And, it folds into a career that's spanned plenty of other notable Victorian sites, including Cutler & Co, Cumulus Inc, Marion, Builders Arms Hotel, Meatsmith and Morning Market. Supernormal Brisbane is set to open at 443 Queen Street, Brisbane in late 2023 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. For more information about Supernormal Melbourne, head to the restaurant's website. Images: Supernormal Melbourne, Nikki To / Jo McGann / Kristoffer Paulsen.
It has been a tough summer in Australia, with bushfires raging across the country and ongoing drought still taking its toll. In response to these disasters, it's been a summer filled with Aussie spirit, too — as the country rallies together to do whatever it can to support those affected, as well as the volunteer firefighters battling the blazes. Trust Australia's distillers to take the whole Aussie spirit concept literally, though. Making Aussie spirits is their job, so they're banding together to donate some of that local booze to a great cause. That's what the Aussie Spirit Auction is all about — selling off Australian-made gins, rums, vodkas, whiskies and whiskeys, moonshine and other liqueurs, and giving all the proceeds to Rural Aid's bushfire and drought relief efforts. More than 100 Aussie distilleries are taking part, including big names such as Four Pillars, Starward, Archie Rose and Brookie's Gin. Together, they've donated more than 200 bottles, including many that are rare, limited edition or simply can't be bought in stores. A number of experiences, such as distillery tours, are also on offer, as are fine art prints of distilleries if you need something for your wall. There are two ways to take part, stock up your liquor cabinet and help those in need: a physical auction and gala in Sydney on Friday, February 28, and an online auction that's currently underway online until the same date. For those thinking about attending in person, your $120 ticket will also be donated to Rural Aid, and you'll also eat your way through a three-course dinner, drink plenty of craft spirits and get the chance to bid on the auction's top 12 items. There'll also be a pop-up bar onsite showcasing distilleries from bushfire-affected regions, including WildBrumby, Karu, Reed & Co, Corowa, Craft Works and Joadja. [caption id="attachment_761560" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] 5Nines Distilling, Richard Lyons[/caption] Online, current bids range from reasonable to hefty, depending on the brand and the item on offer. And, if you're eager to help but aren't interested in the booze, you can also simply donate without bidding. Plus, you can bid on a brand new whisky that's being made especially for the occasion — called 'the Aussie Spirit', naturally. The Aussie Spirit Auction is currently underway online, with bids accepted until 10pm AEDT on Friday, February 28. The live auction and gala takes place in Sydney on the same date — at Dockside, 2 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour — with tickets on sale now. Top image: Archie Rose Distilling Co.
If spending a long weekend or a winter break in the great outdoors is on your agenda, the Victorian Government has just delivered excellent news: you've now got more places to pitch a tent. As part of a big push to add more campgrounds around the state, as funded to the tune of $105.6 million, a whopping 119 sites are either opening up as new spots or getting a revamp. Even better: 43 of them are up and running right now, if you're eager to make the most of the upcoming Anzac Day long weekend or you're already planning your next getaway after that. Just before Easter, the Victorian Government revealed that 13 new and 28 upgraded campgrounds are now operational, spanning everywhere from Grampians to the Great Ocean Road, and including reopened spots that had been destroyed or damaged by bushfires and storms. The Grampians Peaks Trail is now home to seven new hike-in campgrounds, for instance, and three new campsites are located in the Great Otway National Park. Also among the newcomers: Flat Spur Campground at Mt Buller, Thomson Bridge Campground in Gippsland and Stockman's Campground in Big River State Forest (which is just south of Lake Eildon). Paddy Joy Campsite near Corryong, Cobaw Visitor Area in the Cobaw State Forest, and Werribee River and Wombat Creek Picnic Areas in the Wombat State Forest rank among the locations that've been reopened after damage. In terms of upgrades, Lake Lascelles Campground and Dimboola Caravan Park in western Victoria now boast all-ability accessible amenities, and Nelson Kywong Caravan Park on the Glenelg River has all-ability accessible showers and cabins. Booking-wise, you can make reservations to slumber in national park campsites via the Parks Victoria website — while most state forest campgrounds don't require bookings. The remaining 23 new and 55 upgraded campgrounds are set to be finished by mid-2023, which'll give you even more spots to head to. For more information about Victoria's new and upgraded campgrounds, head to the Victorian Government website. Images: Parks Victoria — Grampians National Park, Visit Victoria.
The summer of 2019 in the US was unofficially dubbed 'White Claw Summer'. The hard seltzer (an alcoholic carbonated water) was as popular as frosé was the summer before — and now it's set to make a splash Down Under when it launches here in October. So, Aussies, it's time to prepare for your own summer of sippin' Claws. Lion Australia has partnered up with Mark Anthony Brands International, the makers of White Claw, to import and distribute the sparkling beverage from mid-spring. To start, it'll be selling the company's three most popular flavours — mango, natural lime and ruby grapefruit — but expects to launch more of the expansive range over time. White Claw comes in white cans and is named after the supposed legend of the "white claw wave": when three perfect crests come together to create the perfect wave. As well as being a little like an alcoholic version of the already extremely popular La Croix drinks, White Claw gained popularity for its relatively low calories (100 a pop), low sugar content (two grams of carbohydrates a can) and catchy unofficial slogan: "Ain't no laws when you're drinking Claws". As American police departments were quick to point out, however, there are still in fact laws when you're drinking Claws. https://www.facebook.com/BathTownshipPolice/posts/2450523918365166 Australia's own police departments are known for publishing many tongue-in-cheek social posts, so expect plenty of Claw references when the drink lands here. White Claw isn't the only hard seltzer you'll find on bottle shop shelves this summer, either. Aussie-brewed Fellr and sugar-free Good Tides are both already available at BWS and Dan Murphy's, and Lion launched Quincy last year, which it dubbed the "first alcoholic seltzer in Australia". White Claw is set to hit Aussie bottle-o shelves this October. We'll let you know when more details are announced.
Transform your iPhone into the classic rangefinder camera of a photojournalist with the solid black Gizmon iCA Military Edition. This case will totally convert your iPhone, wrapping around it completely and creating an entirely new 'camera', complete with a viewfinder and a top-mounted shutter button. Choose from the available wide, macro, and fisheye lenses, and attach to create photographic effects unavailable in the iPhone itself. The iCA Military Edition comes with a detachable tripod mount, ideal for longer exposures, as well as a fabric bag to store and protect the durable polycarbonate pieces of your camera. The product site claims that the iCA "blurs the line between phone and camera by combining them both", and it's all yours for around $70. [via NOTCOT]
If your travel plans for 2025 include a Japanese or South Korean holiday, trips to both destinations just got cheaper. Jetstar is helping you lock in your vacations for this year by bringing back the airline's popular 'return for free' deal, this time focusing specifically on both Asian nations. Whether you're heading to Tokyo, Osaka or Seoul, a discount awaits. Whichever of the three cities that you decide to fly into, the Australian carrier's latest special will bring you home without making you spend a cent. One caveat: you've got just 72 hours to snap up tickets, with the sale running for three days from 12am AEDT on Wednesday, January 28, 2025–11.59pm AEDT on Friday, January 31, 2025, unless sold out earlier. This deal really is as straightforward as it sounds. No matter which flights you opt for as part of the sale — to Tokyo, Osaka or Seoul only, though, through Narita, Kansai and Incheon airports — you'll get the return fare for nothing. You do need to nab one of Jetstar's starter fares, and you'll then get a free return starter fare for zilch. Also, you'll have to fly in and out of the same arrival and departure port — so factor that in if you're planning to use either of the two Japanese cities or the South Korean destination as a starting point for heading to other places. Also, as is usually the case with Jetstar, checked baggage is not included. Still, expect the flights to get snapped up quickly when they go on sale. If you're a Club Jetstar member, you can get the jump on the special via access from 12pm AEDT on Tuesday, January 28 until midnight. Wondering when you'll be travelling? Dates vary per route, but the windows cover from early-May through to late-November 2025. Jetstar's Japan and South Korea 'return for free' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Wednesday, January 28, 2025–11.59pm AEDT on Friday, January 31, 2025 — unless it's sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Itching to take a break from working from home by plunging yourself into the great outdoors? Love the idea of turning on your OOO message and hitting a six-day nature hike, getting a rush of adrenaline as you speed down a mountain on a bike, or gliding over expansive desert sands at exhilarating heights? Then it might be time to put Central Australia on your travel map. Home to some of the most epic activities the country has to offer, taking the plunge and visiting the Red Centre might be the little pick-me-up you need. So, we've partnered with Tourism Central Australia to bring you some of Central Australia's most thrilling activities.
Need a little fantasy in your life? You'll find a healthy serve of it at Melbourne's newly-opened Storyville — a bar inspired by fables, fairytales and all the fantastical things that captured your imagination as a little tacker. The Lonsdale Street spot is the brainchild of Steve and Keti Thomas, who've previously helped you escape reality at iconic themed drinking spots 29th Apartment and Pawn & Co. To bring the Storyville concept to life, they've tapped into the creativity of Josh Lefers (East 9th Brewing, Pawn & Co) for fitout that includes a lofty gold bird cage, novel-filled library, Narnia-inspired lounge and magical toadstool bar decked out with giant glowing funghi. The signature cocktail list comes sprinkled with literary nostalgia as well, with each crafty drink paying homage to a timeless favourite. Through The Looking Glass, featuring a boozy vanilla cream tea and served in a teapot with dry ice, is a nod to Lewis Carroll's iconic story, while for Mr Pilkington's Neighbour, a combination of apple liqueur, animal crackers and pork chop fat-washed bourbon combine to transport you to the pages of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Harry Potter, Hunter S. Thompson, A Clockwork Orange and more also get a nod — and you might even find yourself face-to-face with a garnish of real insects. Meanwhile, the food situation runs to cheese, charcuterie and a selection of jaffles, inspired by stories like The Three Blind Mice and that Dr Seuss favourite, Green Eggs and Ham. Head in a sip of polyjuice and a tumble down the rabbit hole. Find Storyville at 185 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Head to their website for further details Images: Jean-Louis Carvalho.
AMENDMENT: October 22, 2018 — This article previously stated that Crazy Rider Xpress would open to the public on November 4. This was incorrect, it will open to the public on Monday, November 5. Got the need for speed? Well, soon you'll be able to experience a rush similar to being launched into outer space (supposedly) when the world's fastest rollercoaster zip-line opens in Sydney next month. Latest addition to the adrenaline-packed activities at TreeTops Adventure Park, the Crazy Rider Xpress sends punters hurtling through the air, downhill, at speeds of up to 50kms per hour. Clocking in at around 2.3g-force, that's not too far from what an astronaut experiences being rocketed from earth. Open to (brave members of) the public from Monday, November 5, the new high-thrills ride weaves half a kilometre through the trees on a rollercoaster-style zip-line track, complete with a few cheeky 360-degree loop-the-loops along the way. That makes for some pretty stellar views and a top-notch Go-Pro shoot...if, of course, your nerves aren't too frazzled to take in those surroundings. While you're there, there are a heap of other sly-high activities you do, including wall climbs and rope courses through the trees The aerial adventure park — which also has outposts in Pennant Hills, Coffs Harbour, Central Coast and Newcastle — already has a Crazy Rider on the Central Coast, but it's longer (one kilometre) and not quite as fast. To give you some idea of what to expect, though, the Central Coast one goes for about an hour, has four 360-degree loops and costs $79. Crazy Rider Xpress will open on Monday, November 5, at TreeTops Adventure Park Western Sydney, 749 Elizabeth Drive, Abbotsbury. Images: TreeTops Crazy Rider, Central Coast
