Our favourite thought-provokers over at The School of Life are gifting us with a two-week community festival of philosophy, culture and ideas. Set to take over Melbourne's western suburbs this November, the Think West program will be all about expanding your mind and stimulating your thinking, delivered in the organisation's trademark open-minded style. With over 40 workshops, classes, tours and events on offer across the inaugural festival, the School of Life team has rounded up a host of interesting westside partners. They've got an impressive list of venues too, with the likes of Yarraville's iconic Sun Theatre, the Planetarium at Scienceworks, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Two Birds Brewing and co-working space The Dream Factory in Footscray hosting events. The full Think West program is yet to drop, but you can expect highlights to include a night of stargazing and perspective-shifting at Melbourne Planetarium, a talk on the art of resilience by Meshel Laurie, and, of course, a memorable and engaging launch party, during which you'll learn how to up your conversation game and become a boss communicator.
The lineup for the inaugural The Plot festival has been announced today, and there sure isn't any shortage of stars. The Plot is the city-side little brother of Groovin the Moo, bringing electronic and dance tunes from all around the country (and from overseas) to Sydney on December 14 and Melbourne on December 15. Following a Facebook post from 22-year-old sensation Flume concerning the unique stylings of Australian electro musicians, The Plot has included a spate of artists Flume name checked as the future. From Wave Racer to Willow Beats to Elizabeth Rose, all those tiny sub-genres of Aussie dance and electronic are represented at the fresh festival at the end of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GJ2GcNs_aXI The Plot is the brainchild of Cattleyard Productions, who seem to be going from strength to strength. In a climate where festivals are losing sales and even closing down, Cattleyard have not only managed to pull together a new festival but also expand the existing Groovin the Moo to South Australia for next year. Which ain't too shabby. If it's something about the vibe, then that's something the folks at Cattleyard will hope to pull out of the country and bring to the city when Australia's finest electro-stars take to the laser-lit stage in December. For the full lineup, tickets and more, head to The Plot.
In a way, some of the flaws in Glenn Elston’s production of As You Like It for the Australian Shakespeare Company highlight that this really might be one of the Bard’s most over-hyped comedies. It's almost too cluttered with minor characters and intrigues to allow the typical strengths of the playwright’s traditional devices of irony, disguise and misrecognition to take full flight. The tone and pacing in Elston’s staging — from scene to scene and sometimes, within longer speeches, even from line to line — sometimes oscillate wildly and uncomfortably. Elsewhere, we’re left longing for even this kind of seemingly arbitrary variation, with Charlie Sturgeon in particular turning in a very stolid, one-note vocal performance. Sturgeon, who’s known for his background in improvisational comedy, seems curiously miscast as the over-earnest lover. However, the onstage dynamic between Louisa Fitzhardinge’s Rosalind and Claire Nicholls’ Celia give us an occasional glimpse of what could be possible within the production and similarly, there are moments where the overblown physical comedy boils over into flashes of excellent stagecraft, especially the wrestling scene between Charles and Orlando. With the actors on mics it’s difficult to understand a directorial style that privileges gratuitous sexual innuendo at the expense of the text’s intricate wordplay. The cast is woefully unsupported by the songs and underscore, which are characterised throughout by pedestrian, forgettable arrangements. To some extent, the Australian Shakespeare Company insulate their work from criticism, with a commitment to presenting "exciting, accessible and contemporary" versions of the Bard’s work, the idyllic setting of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the child-friendly atmosphere making it difficult to evaluate As You Like It on the terms of a similarly priced mainstage show. Over 25 years the company have certainly produced some really fine work – one of my earliest memories is being entranced by their Wind in the Willows as a child – but As You Like It doesn’t live up to that legacy. Over the hill in the Myer Music Bowl, the beat of Nelly’s bass drum beckons us back to the world beyond. For more on this production, check out our interview with director Glenn Elston. Image by Matt Deller.
When you work at a zoo, no two days would ever be the same, all thanks to its animal inhabitants. No shift on the job would ever be boring, either — but surely Taronga Zoo's staff haven't had a day like today, Wednesday, November 2, when five of the site's lions escaped their enclosure. In a social media post, Taronga confirmed that "an emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure". "The zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All persons onsite were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff," the statement continues. "All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) As aired on the ABC, Taronga Zoo Executive Director Simon Duffy said that one adult and four cubs were found outside of their main exhibit at around 6.30am, and "were observed in a small area adjacent to the main lion exhibit, where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo". "The lions calmly made their way back into their main exhibit and den, and one lion cub was safely tranquillised," Duffy advised. "All zoo staff responded and acted swiftly, and procedures and processes were followed as they should have been. As a result, the situation was under control within minutes. We have received video footage, and we confirmed that it was less than ten minutes between the lions exiting their main exhibit and the full emergency response being enacted." If a trip to the zoo is part of your plans today, Taronga has also confirmed that it's operating as normal after the morning's excitement. Taronga welcomed five lion cubs — females Ayanna, Malika and Zuri, and males Khari and Luzuko — in August 2021, during lockdown. It's also streamed them last year, letting everyone enjoy a keepers'-eye view from home. Find Taronga Zoo at Bradleys Head Road, Mosman — open from 9.30am–5pm daily. Head to the zoo's website for further information. Images: Taronga's lion cubs, Rick Stevens.
Back in person for 2022, Melbourne Writers Festival is treating word enthusiasts to a jam-packed program of over 150 events, from Thursday, September 8–Sunday, September 11 this year. With more than 270 authors, actors, journalists and poets set to take part in the festival, the bill is positively stacked with must-see talent. Among the big names: Parks and Recreation star Jenny Slate; Succession's Brian Cox; Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker; Alice Oseman, the writer and illustrator responsible for the graphic novels behind Netflix's Heartstopper; Exit West author Mohsin Hamid; and Talking about a Revolution's Yassmin Abdel-Magied. While some of the fest's guests will appear in-person, others will stream in from overseas, with some digital-only events available to watch on demand nationally with pay-what-you-can prices. [caption id="attachment_862694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Author Alice Oseman[/caption] 2022 highlights include Hamid teaming up with this year's Miles Franklin winner and Bodies of Light author Jennifer Down, plus Talkin' Up to White Woman's Aileen Moreton-Robinson, to give the festival's opening address on the theme of ambition; Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money and Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander author Chelsea Watego talking through their experiences as First Nations creatives; and two appearances from Boy Swallows Universe's Trent Dalton. There's Pulitzer Prize winners Jennifer Egan (A Visit From the Goon Squad) and Margo Jefferson (Constructing a Nervous System) among the digital program; ABC News Breakfast favourite Tony Armstrong on a panel about growing up in country Australia; and China's Murong Xuecun talking through his book Deadly Quiet City: Stories from Wuhan, COVID Ground Zero. The lineup also features a debate about ambition-themed storytelling; discussions on partisanship in Aussie politics, mental illness and vulnerability, the future of the ABC, and the global impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [caption id="attachment_843998" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tony Armstrong[/caption]
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: Sonic the Hedgehog is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. First up, some good news: the Sonic the Hedgehog film could've been a whole lot worse. Mostly because, as you might've seen in the movie's nightmarish first trailer, it initially was. But while Sonic thankfully no longer looks like a toothy blue Matt Dillon from There's Something About Mary, the rushed cosmetic changes carried out by Paramount only run skin-deep. Sonic the Hedgehog might now look pretty great, but the film is a hot mess just about everywhere else. To begin with, it's a mystery why this movie even exists. Not only is the Sega game it's based on almost 30 years old, but films based on video games are like white whales for studios — strangely irresistible yet doomed to cause ruin. It's appropriate that one of the first (and undoubtedly one of the worst) examples was Super Mario Bros back in 1993, since it was that game franchise that led to Sonic's creation. Did Hollywood learn nothing? The appeal of gaming lies squarely in the user's participation — "play, don't watch" should be scrawled on every movie executive's cheque book — and these films do not work. Following Sonic's adventures on earth as he accidentally attracts the US government's attention, then tries to escape them, the other big problem with Sonic the Hedgehog is the pacing. Specifically, Sonic's. His whole reason for existing is to go fast — super fast. He's like the Flash, Road Runner and X-Men's Quicksilver combined. And while there are some genuinely fun sequences where viewers get to see that play out, he spends a full third of the film cruising around in a sensibly-priced sedan. Worse — he's not even driving. Live-action is very much in vogue at the moment (see: Beauty and the Beast, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu), but this feels like an instance where a completely animated film would've been the superior option. The movie's opening five minutes take place on Sonic's home planet, and it's a tantalising glimpse of what might have been had first-time feature director Jeff Fowler gone down that road. Ah well. Cast-wise, there's a clear standout. Jim Carrey is back in full force, dropping the most endearingly over-the-top performance audiences have seen from him in ages. As villain Dr Robotnik, he's somehow even more cartoonish than the CGI Sonic — and it's spectacular. Like Sonic's running, however, there's far too little of it throughout. Instead, the lion's share of screen time is reserved for Sonic (voiced by Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz) and his new pal Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), the local sheriff who's helping him avoid capture. Giving credit where credit's due, Marsden delivers the goods, charming his way through scenes that ought to have tanked hard. Schwartz, too, makes the inspired choice of keeping Sonic low-key instead of manic, resulting in a far more likeable hero. As a kid-friendly family film, Sonic the Hedgehog ticks all the boxes, including the apparent must-have of a central character doing the floss (twice, in this instance). Query, though, how many kids even know who Sonic is. The same question applies to writers Patrick Casey and Josh Miller (YouTube series 12 Deadly Days), who not only relegate the eponymous character to scant speediness, but have also crowbarred in a ton of woeful pop culture references that will date this film far too quickly. Since his creation in 1991, Sonic the side-scrolling bundle of blue fluff has earned over $5 billion. That's some legacy, and one this middling film will neither damage nor improve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szby7ZHLnkA
Walking into the Bigness celebrates many stories inspired by the life of writer, singer, filmmaker and Aboriginal activist Richard Frankland. From humble (although gruesome) beginnings as a child working in an abattoir to life as a soldier, a fisherman and an officer for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the production follows Frankland's experiences through storytelling and song. Co-directed by Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Redfern Now) and Chris Mead and featuring a small stellar cast (Tammy Anderson, Paul Ashcroft, Luisa Hastings Edge, Rarriwuy Hick and Tiriki Onus), Walking into the Bigness is an intimate exploration of knowledge, adolescence, growth and the unknown. With music performed by Frankland himself, the production is an "intimate, emotive and humorous work that will take you through the undulating terrain of a life".
This article is sponsored by our partner lastminute.com.au. Ah, New York City. 'The City that Never Sleeps'. 'The Big Apple'. 'The Capital of the World'. Whatever you call it, you know it. Recognised as the cultural capital of America, NYC is a melting pot of peoples from all over the world. It's home to some of the best arts, eateries, events and scenes in the world. Its impressive landmarks make it impossible to be mistaken for any other city. We all know the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and of course, Lady Liberty — even if only from our living rooms. Shows like Sex & the City, movies like When Harry Met Sally and songs such as 'Empire State of Mind', have enraptured most of us with the thrill of New York City. If you've every wanted to see what the hype is all about but haven't the slightest idea where to go in the mega-metropolis, travel and lifestyle site lastminute.com.au has you covered. They've scouted out a variety of hotels in the city's many unique neighbourhoods, from the Upper East Side's Gossip Girl style to the low-key, artsy Brooklyn vibe. Here are their favourites. (They're also offering an opportunity for Aussies to 'Win NYE in NYC', so don't miss that.) The Surrey Stars: 5Best for: Classic Upper East Side elegance Once home to some of New York's most high-profile celebrities — including JFK, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert — the Surrey is valued for its excellent service and discretion. The hotel also offers the finest amenities, including a private rooftop garden, spa service and gourmet dining. Venture out of your room into the nearby Central Park or shop along Fifth Avenue; the best of Manhattan living is right outside your door. Affinia Manhattan Stars: 3.5Best for: Apartment living in the heart of the mid-town scene Have bad FOMO? Then this is the place for you. Spot on in the middle of the city, the Affinia Manhattan is centred around all the action. Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, Broadway, Times Square, Fifth Avenue shopping and Chelsea art galleries are all just a step away. The Affinia has all the old-school charm of a New York hotel, but with a modern update. So when you’re exhausted from a big day out, relax and enjoy the skyline view from your room. Sohotel New York Stars: 2Best for: Funky slice of downtown with reasonable rates Located in a unique area of lower Manhattan, the Sohotel is in a prime location for urban adventure. Enjoy world-class shops, historic cultural landmarks, delectable eats or vibrant nightlife on the historic Bowery Boulevard. Or discover the quirky neighbourhoods of Nolita, China Town and Little Italy that give the area some cultural flair. You can enjoy it all because the Sohotel offers some pretty affordable rates. Comfort and style are not compromised though — the hotel is a quirky mix of old and young New York style, which in our opinion just adds to the experience. The Greenwich Hotel Stars: 5Best for: Oasis of calm and luxury in the heart of Tribeca Planted in the heart of Tribeca, the Greenwich Hotel is a stone's throw from Wall Street, SoHo, the Meatpacking District and Chinatown. But it could be hard to leave the hotel. A true haven for relaxation, the Greenwich features an authentic Japanese spa with a lantern-lit swimming pool, luxurious lounge and treatment rooms — you might start to believe you’re at a retreat rather than a city. Also, the rooms are all so unique, comfortable and liveable that you might want to think about an extended stay. The Box House Hotel Stars: 3.5Best for: Quirky cool in Brooklyn If you're looking for something a little more offbeat, check out the Box House Hotel in Brooklyn. Located in the industrial chic area of Greenpoint, this hotel offers a variety of quirky and brightly decorated apartments (be sure to request one with a patio or terrace for views of Greenpoint or the Manhattan skyline). A short walking distance to some of Brooklyn's best restaurants and bars, the Box House Hotel offers an authentic Brooklyn experience that's anything but boring.
No matter the occasion — whether it's a celebratory drink or a deluxe date — popping open a bottle of bubbly makes any outing far more special. So, if you're looking to take things up a notch, head to Newport's Junction Hotel for a luxe wine and food pairing available till the end of April. For $185, you'll get a Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial and the hotel's specialty ploughmans board, loaded with cured meats, terrine, caper berries, mustard, relish, and a wedge of cheddar cheese. The pink-hued champagne, with its brightness, red fruit aromas and slightly dry finish, will pair nicely with your spread — plus it's sure to elevate any date, party or dinner. You'll be saving some pennies, too, as a bottle of Moët Rosé and the ploughmans usually comes to $215 when bought as separate items. If you're after a more casual setting head to the the pub's airy beer hall. Or, settle into a leather booth in the sleek, dimly-lit wine room for a fancier affair. To book your spot, head here.
If there's one thing we've all learned the hard way these past 18 months, it's that plans change. So it'll come as little surprise that there've been a few *ahem* major tweaks to the planned multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Sorrento's historic Continental Hotel since we last brought you up to speed in 2018. New owners Victor Smorgon Group, Kanat Group and Trenerry Property have just revealed the latest plans for the 145-year-old heritage building, which feature an expansive, multi-faceted hospitality offering headed up by renowned chef Scott Pickett and publican Craig Shearer. Set to commence opening in early 2022, the Continental Sorrento's dramatic transformation will include a slew of food and drink venues operated by the two hospitality veterans. You'll know Pickett as the mind behind culinary hits like Estelle, Matilda and Longrain, while Shearer counts the likes of North Fitzroy's Terminus and The Plough in South Brisbane in his stable. Here, in a buzzy pocket of the Mornington Peninsula, they'll join forces to deliver the Conti's main restaurant — named Audrey's, after Pickett's grandmother and cooking muse — along with a public bar and beer garden, a late-night venue, poolside and in-room dining, and a rooftop deck. The lineup of offerings will range from upscale degustation menus through to casual pub fare enjoyed straight off the sand, with an expected capacity of 5000 diners across the whole multi-venue site. [caption id="attachment_823638" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] As you can expect, the sprawling, high-profile hotel won't be short on additional function spaces either. There are plans to restore the building's original grand ballroom to its former glory, to sit alongside an assortment of other private, bookable rooms. The hillside precinct will also eventually be home to a new 108-room luxury InterContinental Resort Hotel and a wellness centre. The new consortium of owners took over the reins in April last year. The Continental Sorrento is located at 1/21 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento. The first stages of its new hospitality offering are set to open from early 2022.
Gird your livers, all your beer lovers out there, for Melbourne's annual celebration of all things hoppy and gold. Announced earlier in the week, the program for this year's Good Beer Week features more than 270 free and ticketed events across Melbourne and Victoria, from workshops to tastings to food and brew degustations, and even an honest to God fashion show. In fact there's so much happening that they've tacked on three extra days, bringing the total to ten. Hardly a traditional week...not that we're complaining. Running from Friday May 13 to Sunday May 22, the sixth annual Good Beer Week is split into various different streams. For those who like a drink with their dinner, the Foodie section features a number of enticing events, including a Vietnamese degustation at Uncle in St Kilda, a four course Louisiana beer dinner at Ding Dong Lounge in the CBD, and a Beers, Bikes and BBQ Feast at Kustom Kommune motorbike workshop in Fitzroy. The party-packed Good Times section includes the opening and closing night shindigs, both of which will be held at Beer Deluxe on Flinders Street. Other standout events include a showcase of female brewing talent at The Fox Hotel in Collingwood, and an afternoon of beer, Reuben sandwiches and 90s hip-hop at 5 Points Deli in Carlton. The remaining sections are divided based on your level of beer expertise. For those looking to expand their knowledge, Beer 101 features various workshops and presentations, including a hands-on cider making class at The Arbory on the Yarra, and an 'Australian tour' held at Pilgrim in Fed Square featuring six different beers from six different states. The Beer Geek and Beer Lover sections, on the other hand, are best suited to the beer swilling alcoholics veterans. Learn the ins-and-outs of nano-brewing courtesy of the folk at Henry Street Brewhouse in Kensington, or throw yourself into the annual Pint of Origin showdown at bars and pubs all over the state. Good Beer Week 2016 runs from May 13 to May 22. For more information including the complete program, visit www.goodbeerweek.com.au.
There are few pleasures more simple or satisfying in this life than a great meal with great company. It's with that fact in mind that we again find comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan bouncing from one tantalising meal to the next in the third installment of Michael Winterbottom's gastro-comedy series The Trip. Beginning in 2010, the original Trip was a 'best of' that drew from Winterbottom's six-part series for the BBC in which Brydon and Coogan travelled the UK's Lake District 'reviewing' restaurants for their respective publishers. It featured a threadbare fictional storyline that served only to place these two astoundingly witty and sardonic impressionists opposite one another – verbal sparring partners forever determined to fell the other with a devastating barb. The result was a delightful laugh-out-loud comedy that never once threatened to veer towards the gross-out or foul-mouthed gags so common in contemporary Hollywood comedies. The first film's success spawned a sequel, The Trip to Italy, four years later. Now we're greeted with the third course in The Trip to Spain. It's all very much business as usual, with close-ups of mouth-watering food porn breaking up the otherwise largely static shots of Coogan and Brydon facing off against one another, backed by breathtaking scenery and captivating architecture. There's a little history thrown in throughout the film, as well as the occasional food review, but at its heart The Trip to Spain knows where the gold lies and it rarely strays far from the path. Some of you may already be familiar with the common personality quiz question that asks what two people you'd most like to have over for a dinner party. If nothing else, you'd be hard pressed to find a better return on investment than Brydon and Coogan, given how effortlessly the two become 20. Many of the same impersonations from the first two movies return here, including Al Pacino, Michael Caine and Roger Moore. But it's the new entries – David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Sir Anthony Hopkins – that earn the biggest laughs. That these impressions are so often inspired by real life encounters or precious personal moments with their subjects gives what might otherwise feel like a tired parlour trick a critical grounding in tenderness – especially in the case of the Bowie exchange. If there's a complaint to be made this time round, it's that the fictional storyline brings the film to a close on a note that's both abrupt and rather bizarre. The likelihood of another follow-up seems assured given the left-field cliffhanger, but it's so at odds with the class and character of the series that one almost wishes the fictional narrative could be dispensed with entirely. Either that, or shift away from the episodic format of television and become an out-and-out film series. We'll just have to wait and see. For now, at least, we've got some more sumptuous comedy to enjoy, along with course after course of delicious food to match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTvy8ab1NSo
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic — with the pay-per-view platform not only screening movies, but pairing them with virtual Q&A sessions as well. Now, between Wednesday, May 27–Tuesday, June 2, it's also hosting an online film fest: the first Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. The event coincides with National Reconciliation Week, and will showcase six Australian documentaries: In My Blood It Runs, The Australian Dream, Gurrumul, Undermined: Tales from the Kimberley, Zach's Ceremony and Namatjira Project. That means you can watch your way through an array of Indigenous stories, spanning everything from everyday tales to culturally significant figures in art, sport and music — and exploring race relations, tradition and the environment in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXa3gw3g4C4 Sessions will also feature guest speakers and expert panelists, such as Gurrumul director Paul Williams, Undermined filmmaker Nic Wrathall, and Zach and Alec Doomadgee from Zach's Ceremony. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, with tickets starting at US$6.99, or buy an all-access pass to everything for US$19.99.
Every time Apple makes an announcement (or even announces an announcement), the techno-geeks, Apple-loyalists and the general media feed the Mac hype with speculative articles. Even things that are quite obviously fake leaks are written about because it drives more readers to blogs/sites. And almost every time Apple does make an announcement, we're left a tad underwhelmed - our lofty hopes left largely unrealised. When Philip Schiller, senior vice president of Apple's Worldwide Product Marketing opened the 4S keynote reveal with "don't be deceived because inside, it's all new", it was all over. The most anyone hopes for with iPhone upgrades lies is how it looks. Beyond the literal meaning of Schiller's summation, his statement covers what most people actually care about: having the newest looking iPhone. What makes me feel foolish about this latest reveal is that as dictated by previous iterations, the shape hardly changes at this point; a full update is always preceded by a minor one. And with such a lack of physical change, I'm giving upgrading my iPhone 3GS a second thought. But if any of the previous upgrades are anything to go by, people will still buy the newest iPhone and brave an uncomfortable night's sleep outside the Mac store to make sure they are up-to-date. Even those who point to a 3 percent drop in Apple's share price also point to Apple's consumer savvy, releasing a phone with internal changes before making enthusiasts wait with bated breath for the iPhone 5. So here's what's new on the inside: - a faster processor. The iPhone 4S will be installed with the A5 chip (the same used for the iPad 2). - voice activation software called Siri. This will allow users to make commands like "check voice messages" and even answer questions like "what's the weather like tomorrow?" - a longer battery life (8 hours) - an improved camera (8 megapixels and a video stabilisation tool) https://youtube.com/watch?v=dhdmZ7iNZYo
Bangarra's latest work, lore, celebrates the passing-down of knowledge from one generation to the next. For 25 years, Bangarra has created dance works to enlighten audiences about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures survive today. As its title suggests, lore is no different in providing a stage for ancient spirituality to meet the 21st century. lore is a double bill, and making the rounds to Canberra, Wollongong, Brisbane and Melbourne, following a successful premiere at the Opera House on June 11. Seasoned choreographer Frances Rings' Sheoak is followed by I.B.I.S, by Deborah Brown and Waangenga Blanco, in their choreographic debut. Both Sheoak and I.B.I.S. transport the viewer to sacred places, whether at the roots of an all-giving Grandmother tree or surveying the beauty of the Torres Strait. Bangarra never shies away from social commentary; the works address everything from climate change to racial inequality. Yet in the staunch declarations of identity onstage, there is a constant look to the future, with hope.
Melbourne's landmark Greenline project is one step closer to reality, with a fresh suite of design ideas revealed for the game-changing riverside development. Helmed by the City of Melbourne, the revitalisation project was first announced back in mid-2021, with various plans unveiled throughout the two years since. While some elements of the development have already started to take shape, including the new-look Enterprize Park, these latest designs are now gearing up to be released for public feedback ahead of the draft Greenline Project Masterplan being finalised in the coming months. Greenline is set to rejuvenate the four-kilometre northern riverside stretch between Birrarung Marr and the Bolte Bridge, reimagining it as five new precincts. They'll feature a collection of promenades, parks, cultural activations and open space, with plans for environmental renewal projects to be incorporated and lots of native plants added, too. The overall development is also set to include significant elements recognising and celebrating the culture and heritage of the Wurundjeri People. The work of landscape architects TCL and Aspect Studios, the new design proposals include ideas for each of the five Greenline precincts, drawing inspiration from international projects including Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York and Paris' Park de Docks. So what's in the works, you ask? The Birrarung Marr Precinct would score a new and improved riverside promenade, with terraced steps for lounging by the water, and performance spaces that would host cultural events throughout the year. A wetland habitat, a new park and a collection of rooftop venues above the Banana Alley Vaults have been proposed for the Falls Precinct, while the River Park Precinct would include a new space for activities constructed beneath the Flinders Street viaduct. The Maritime Precinct looks set to feature new maritime-inspired artworks and improved boat access, and at the Saltwater Wharf Precinct, you can look forward to an expanded promenade and another brand-new park. "Our landscape architecture and design experts have crafted an incredible vision for what the Greenline Project could look like – with stunning boardwalks, event spaces, native vegetation and outdoor dining," explained Lord Mayor Sally Capp. The new plans are now up for endorsement by City of Melbourne Councillors, before they're opened up to community consultation. You can find more details on the Greenline Project over on the City of Melbourne website.
An energy crisis is looming. We’ve been told that fossil fuels will be gone within the next 50 years. The hunt for alternative sources of energy to run our cars, fuel our industries and feed our countries has begun. Whilst green energy is going from strength to strength, traditional oil companies are looking to more tried and true resources. In light of this, Royal Dutch Shell are constructing the world’s largest man-made floating object. The vessel is being built in South Korean shipyards and is expected to be complete by 2017. When finished, it will anchor off Western Australia, where the vessel will extract the equivalent of over 110,000 barrels of natural gas a day. It will then cool the gas at -162 degrees celsius which condenses it to a sixth of its mass. Whilst the vessel itself will be stationary for a predicted 25 years, the gas will be transported via smaller ships to markets in Asia and Europe. The ship is more of a mini island. It will be over 4 football fields long, will weight six times more than the next largest vessel and can withstand a Category 4 cyclone, the most severe of storms. [via POPSCI]
No, you are not looking at a digitally altered photo. These photos are the work of German painter, sculptor and designer, Cornelia Konrads. She has created amazing displays of 'land-art' that seem to defy gravity. Her work represents the temporary existence of the structures that we build within nature. These displays are the disintegration of the man-made structures right before our eyes. Unique and beautiful, her work is a unique approach to land-art and we are quite impressed. For more of her stellar artwork, check out her website.
There's something about the combination of chocolate and hazelnut that encourages a particularly fierce strain of food fandom. If you're fond of the pairing, you don't just like it — you flat-out love it more than almost every other food there is. That's why everything from Nutella recipe books and hotels to festivals and food trucks keep popping up. It's also why almost every dessert menu seems to feature the spread these days. And, it's clearly why Koko Black has opted for choc-hazelnut as well when it comes to releasing its first beer. This brew has nothing to do with Nutella, but it is chocolate hazelnut-flavoured — as made with Belgian couverture chocolate, plus hazelnuts (obviously). The resulting Belgian stout clocks in at 6.9 percent alcohol by volume, and marks a collaboration between the chocolatier and brewer Modus Operandi. No one needs a reason to come up with this beer-meets-dessert hybrid; however, it takes inspiration from Koko Black's 'nuts to caramel' collection. Yes, that's exactly what you're meant to eat while you're sipping. The choc hazelnut Belgian stout is being released to coincide with this year's Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS) in Melbourne, which takes place between Friday, May 21–Sunday, May 23. It'll be pouring as part of a masterclass during the fest, but that's not the only place you'll be able to find it. Head to Koko Black's website now to pick up a hamper featuring the brew — and some chocolate, naturally — or, if you're in Victoria, you can nab a four-pack from selected bottle shops from Sunday. Koko Black and Modus Operandi's choc hazelnut Belgian stout is on sale now via the Koko Black website — and will be sold in selected Victorian bottle shops from Sunday, May 23.
From 6pm on Friday, October 29, life is going to be a little more normal for double-vaccinated Melburnians. That's when the second stage of eased COVID-19 restrictions will come into effect, ahead of even more rules relaxing in late November. And, this weekend, it's also when the city's cultural institutions will start to reopen to the double-jabbed — so get ready to visit galleries and museums. Different venues are relaunching on different dates, however, because Melbourne is just about to have a public holiday on Tuesday, November 2. You'll be able to hit up the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and its huge Disney exhibition from Saturday, October 30, for instance, if you've had two vaccinations — but you might have to wait a little longer elsewhere. Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks are all reopening on Saturday, October 30, too, with tickets already on sale. Bookings are obviously essential, and everyone over the age of 16 must be double-vaxxed or have a medical exemption to enter. Also, Scienceworks will start its Planetarium Nights sessions again on Friday, November 5. IMAX Melbourne will relaunch on Saturday, October 30 for the double-jabbed as well — a day after other cinemas around the city will crank up their projectors again. And, so will the Heide Museum of Modern Art, kicking off with the exhibition Margel Hinder: Modern in Motion. Over at the National Gallery of Victoria, it's swinging open its doors to double-vaccinated patrons on Wednesday, November 3. So, that's when you'll be able to head back to The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and NGV International — with the former displaying extended seasons of its Maree Clarke: Ancestral Memories, Big Weather and Naomi Hobson exhibitions, and Camille Henrot: Is Today Tomorrow and Reko Rennie's new work Initiation OA_RR on offer at the latter. Also welcoming in double-vaxxed Melburnians on the Wednesday: the State Library Victoria. It's reopening all spaces except the Russell Street Welcome Zone and Readings bookshop, both of which will reopen in January next year. And the Jewish Museum of Australia will reopen on Sunday, November 7. Melbourne's COVID-19 rules might be easing again, but plenty of requirements will still be in place — including masking up indoors, and capacity restrictions. For more information about cultural institutions reopening across Melbourne, head to the ACMI, Museums Victoria, IMAX Melbourne, Heide Museum of Modern Art, NGV, State Library Victoria and Jewish Museum of Australia websites. Top image: Installation view of Camille Henrot: Is Today Tomorrow, NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Tom Ross. Courtesy of NGV.
For decades, matching wine and food has been a favourite pastime, and a skill set that any true modern foodie should have up their sleeve. Now, gin has made its way back onto the scene and, armed with a complex flavour profile and botanical characteristics, has opened our eyes to a whole new world of food pairing potential. In addition to the main player, juniper, today’s gin varieties can comprise of any number of natural flavouring ingredients, also known as botanicals — from cinnamon and orange peel to nutmeg and cardamom. The newfound art of pairing food with gin – or ginstronomy, for those in the know - is all about picking out these specific botanical notes and highlighting or balancing them with the food on your plate. Bombay Sapphire, the globally renowned gin brand largely credited with the spirit’s reinvigorated image, has taken up the ginstronomy charge with gusto. Infused with ten of these botanicals — orris root, almonds, cassia bark, liquorice, cubeb berries, angelica root, grains of paradise, lemon peel, coriander and juniper — the drink lends itself brilliantly to the food-pairing concept. After the success of their Project Botanicals pop-up last year, Bombay is returning to Melbourne from June 24 to July 11, again teaming up with celebrated chef Gary Mehigan from MasterChef Australia and some of the city’s most savvy bartenders, for a flavour celebration, delivering a new batch of finely tuned food and gin pairings. Each of the ten cocktails and tapas-style dishes have been carefully crafted not only to showcase a specific Bombay Sapphire botanical, but to enhance or play off each other for a well-balanced taste sensation in the mouth. CASSIA BARK For example, in celebration of cassia bark, which is cinnamon’s more delicate cousin, you’ll find coconut poached chicken laab teamed with a cassia Indian Milk Punch. Created by the team at 1806, the rice milk cocktail carries a sweet touch of condensed milk, plus warming infusions of autumn tea and star anise that marry perfectly to the cassia bark. Meanwhile, the punchy Asian flavours in that chicken laab are designed to cut through the drink’s sweetness and milky mouth feel, elevating the botanical’s presence. ANGELICA ROOT Angelica root’s time in the spotlight comes courtesy of a riff on the negroni, which has been teamed with a mushroom tartine and garlicky parmesan custard. While Angelica is considered the earthy botanical of the Bombay bunch, it’s also responsible for holding all of the others in balance, and this is perfectly mimicked in that bitter, sweet and sour equilibrium of a negroni. The pickled and exotic mushrooms in the tartine, the garlic and the parsnip crunch on top of the dish all mirror the Angelica root’s earthy tones, while that silky custard softens the drink’s strong flavour. GRAINS OF PARADISE One of the dessert combinations highlights West African grains of paradise, with a luscious warm cocktail of vermouth, ginger syrup and chocolate butter, beside a decadent hazelnut and brown butter friand. Created by the Gin Palace crew, the drink picks up on the botanical’s exotic flavours, particularly its dark chocolate notes. Foodwise, the buttery friand softens the dryness of the cocktail’s vermouth, while an Oloroso ice cream, raisins and black sherry syrup add dark fruit notes to complement the grains of paradise’s dark chocolate bitterness. With tasty food and cocktail pairings like these, Project Botanicals 2015 looks set to push our love affair with gin even further. Head along for a botanically inspired flavour celebration and to get your own taste for this hot-ticket art of ginstronomy. The pop-up will be open from June 24 to July 11 (Wednesday to Saturday) at 64 Sutton St, North Melbourne. Tickets $45pp (plus booking fee) via Eventbrite.
It begins with an ad in the classifieds: "Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed." Anyone who's ever seen Craigslist knows that's pretty much par for the course, but for sleazy magazine writer Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), it throws up two irresistible opportunities: an amusing puff piece during an otherwise slow news week, and a chance to hook up with an old flame living in the same town from where it was placed. He selects two interns, the dour Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and studious Arnau (Karan Soni), and together they head off to the beachside community of Ocean View to track down the advert's mysterious author. That man turns out to be Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass): an awkward loner and paranoid grocery story clerk who's convinced he's cracked the secret of quantum-mechanical travel. When Jeff's cynicism sees him immediately rejected as a possible partner, it falls to Darius to befriend the man based on her boss's logic that since they're both weird, perhaps they'll get along. And as it turns out, eccentric outsiders do attract just as powerfully as opposites. Darius quickly warms to Kenneth's tender idiosyncrasies, even as questions over his mental stability linger, and by the time the film builds to its inevitable climax in which Kenneth's time machine has its moment of truth, you come to realise you no longer even care if it works. Like 2012's other sci-fi hit Looper, this is a time-travel movie where the time travel is entirely incidental to the storyline and characters. Just as Looper explored the 'what' of the concept (what consequences might time travel bring, intended or otherwise?), Safety Not Guaranteed asks 'why?'. Why would you go back, assuming you could, and why yearn for second chances when new and possibly better opportunities keep showing up right in front of you? Regret, of course, is the answer, and it's what drives each of the film's four principals, from Kenneth's literal time travel to Jeff's symbolic one — seeking out his high school sweetheart in the hope of recapturing faded former glories. It's a film of excellent performances all round, but Plaza offers the standout. Her disillusioned 20-something shtick initially plays like a cut-and-paste job from Parks and Recreation; however, she imbues Darius with an unexpected depth and warmth that utterly enchants. Duplass is also fantastic, making Kenneth feel somehow terribly familiar for a person we've almost certainly never met. Soni and Johnson provide fine supporting performances, and all four characters develop wonderfully over the 85 minutes in a testament to the actors and screenwriter alike. Safety Not Guaranteed is an inspired and heartwarming tale that's almost certainly the surprise indie hit of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=73jSnAs7mq8
The past couple of years have been tough on all of us. Plus, with life-as-normal coming back at what seems like full speed, we wouldn't blame you if you needed time away from it all. And there's no better way to do that than by escaping to somewhere that feels like a world away from your daily routine. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Wild Turkey to offer four lucky Aussies the chance to win a $2000 Airbnb voucher for their next weekend away. And with some pretty spectacular Airbnbs that can be found all around this great land, you might have a tough time deciding where to go — and who to take with you. We'll also throw in four cases of Wild Turkey's new Discovery Series to keep the good times going, wherever you find yourself. To be in the running, all you have to do is tell about your favourite off-the-beaten-track destination — the spot you don't tell anyone else about. (Don't worry, we won't tell anyone either.) Need some inspo? Check out our guides to the towns of Lexton, Cunnamulla and Lightning Ridge. [competition]838819[/competition]
Let's face it. Shopping at this time of year can be a form of slow torture. But we have something that'll make braving the crowds worth it. From Tuesday, December 18 to Monday, December 24 (otherwise known as 'crisis shop week'), David Jones is offering up free drink and food tastings. So, if you're in the Bourke Street store, hunt down the pop-up for free sips of Mumm Grand Cordon, Chivas 18 scotch and St Hugo shiraz. Along with the tipples, there'll be food pairings to revive you for the rest of your shopping expedition. And, while you're there, you can cross a few names off the present list. The new release Mumm Grand Cordon bottle is only available at a handful of locations around Sydney, including the little pop-up you'll be stationed at. This might just be the solution to the yearly question you and your siblings ask each other: what should we get mum and dad? The Champagne, Whisky and Wine Tasting Station will be open from 12–3pm daily at David Jones Bourke Street, until Monday, December 24.
Screw gas guzzling tankers and utes — Bruges is taking their beer transportation system underground, preserving their UNESCO World Heritage-listed city streets with an extensive, 3.2-kilometre-long beer pipeline that will begin operation in September. This ingenious design is all thanks to the perseverance of Xavier Vanneste, the heir to De Halve Maan (Half Moon), the city's only continuously working brewery. Initially established in 1564, the brewery is an iconic part of the city — and despite urging from financial advisors, Vanneste has long refused to relocate to a more industrial location. His alternative? To build an underground pipeline from the brewery to the bottling plant. The pipeline itself is an incredibly crafty design, with Vanneste hiring tunnelling experts from the oil and gas industry and Belgium's top brewing professor (what a title!) to get the plan just right. The experts laid the pipeline using computer-guided drills, which minimised street digging and further protected the historic city. As you can expect, the budget was a big one. A total of €4 million (that's almost six million AUD) were needed for the project, and over €300,000 was raised through a crowdfunding campaign. Backers who purchased a gold membership will be entitled to a bottle of Brugse Zot Blond every day for life as part of their €7500 donation. Beer for life is a such a legendary reason to donate. As it currently stands, the pipes can fit enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour. The beer will be pumped down the underground pipeline from the brewery in the city centre to the bottling plant three kilometres out of town. Vanneste's ability to get this approved came as a shock to many, especially considering no private company in history has been allowed to lay cable under the city's cobbled lanes and medieval buildings. Luckily, city officials, including mayor Renaat Landuyt, smartly saw the pipeline as an opportunity to sustain employment while maintaining the city's heritage and sharply reducing the number of beer tankers driving in and out. If the pipeline actually works and stands the test of time, Vanneste will certainly go down in history as a beer legend and a champion forward-thinker. We're already hatching dreams of an Australian-wide network of underground beer pipelines and hope one of our many craft brewers is ready to get behind the idea. If a UNESCO city can get this approved, what's to stop the rest of us? Via The Guardian. Image: Ricardo Samaniego via Flickr.
First, the obvious news: in 2021, Falls Festival won't be unleashing a huge end-of-year music lineup. This'll mark the second year in a row that the event hasn't gone ahead, after skipping its usual December/January slot in the summer of 2020–21 due to the pandemic, too. But, come this time next year, Falls will be gearing up for its big comeback. Festival organisers have announced that Falls will return for the summer of 2022–23, so get circling in your diary now. That said, there'll be a few changes — including skipping its usual Tasmanian leg in Marion Bay, and also moving from Lorne in Victoria as well. Tassie is no longer on the agenda for Falls' next fests, while the Victorian event will move to Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon. The latter is only 30 minutes away from Lorne and less than two hours from Melbourne, handily. "It has been a privilege to operate Falls Festival in such beautiful locations and we're so thankful to the Surf Coast Shire, Sorell Council and supporting stakeholders of Lorne and Marion Bay who have shown Falls Festival such incredible support over the years. We hope that our Lorne and Tassie Falls fam will join us at Pennyroyal Plains," said festival promoters Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco in a statement. "Lorne is where Falls Festival started so we want to give a particularly special shout out to the locals there. You have been instrumental in making the festival all that it is today, and we'll always be grateful to the community for their long-time support," the pair continued. Falls spent 27 years in Lorne and 17 in Tasmania. The 2022–23 event will still head to North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle — and if you're wondering who'll be on the bill, it's clearly far too early for that kind of news. When Falls was planning to proceed last summer, it was going to champion an all-Australian lineup; however, with the international border situation changing, overseas headliners could be back on the cards. In addition to sitting out the 2020–21 and 2021–22 summers, Falls has had a chaotic few years all round. When it was held in 2019–20, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival will return across December 2022–January 2023, taking place at Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon, North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle. Further details won't be announced until sometime in 2022 — we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
The Australian film world has a striking new talent. Scooping up a best director gong at the Sundance Film Festival in January and winning the prestigious Crystal Bear in Berlin the following month, Adelaide's Sophie Hyde has with her debut feature, 52 Tuesdays, produced a powerful and progressive piece of cinema that defies formal, social and narrative expectations. With memorable characters and exceptional performances helping to shore up an intriguing structural gimmick, it's a bold and original coming-of-age drama that discerning local audiences should hurry to the cinema to see. Newcomer Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Billie, a 16-year-old high-school girl struggling to find her footing after her lesbian mother Jane (Del Herbert-Jane) announces her intention to become a man. The transition, which involves a regimen of testosterone along with surgery, will take a year, during which time Jane — now going by James — requests that Billie go and live with her father (Beau Travis Williams). Billie agrees, on the condition that she can still visit every Tuesday after school. If nothing else, 52 Tuesdays is noteworthy for its approach. Fully committed to her year-in-the-life premise, Hyde shot the film in chronological order, one scene every Tuesday, over the course of an entire year. The result, captured on consciously uncinematic digital video, has a particular kind of lived-in realism; the actors were given a new piece of the script every week, allowing for performances that feel both spontaneous and authentic. Through a long and sometimes arduous process, Hyde and her writing partner, Matthew Cormack, handle James' transition frankly and without judgement. Herbert-Jane, an actor who identifies as gender non-conforming, is excellent in the role, conveying each and every moment of excitement, frustration and doubt. Interviews with other trans individuals, captured by James on a trip to San Francisco, further contextualise his experience for his daughter, who in turn serves as a kind of surrogate for the audience. The year sees big changes for Billie as well, particularly as her friendship with a pair of students in the year above her (Sam Althuizen and Imogen Archer) evolves into sexual experimentation. A soulful screen presence, there's little doubt that Cobham-Harvey, like Hyde, has a big future ahead of her. As Billie, she gets us on side with a potentially unlikeable character, whose own adolescent drama seems to dwarf everything happening around her. Honest, insightful and bravely against the grain, 52 Tuesdays is a magnificent debut for cast and filmmaker alike. Expect big things going forward. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y5WcMzEYRGU
Fancy a boogie, but not the overpriced cover charge? Not to worry, we’ve found a way to make your wistful dreams a damn fine reality. VICE’s electro music and culture channel THUMP is answering the call, throwing yet another set of dance parties in both Melbourne and Sydney over the next two weeks. The best part: it's all free. The THUMP crew knows how to put on a mighty fine show, and these nights are bound to be no exception. Melburnians will enjoy the likes of Sleep D, Strict Face and DJ sets from Null and Simona, while Sydneysiders can expect Cliques, Strict Face, Thomas William and Unit to move you long into the night. Image: Voena.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the Sydney Film Festival completely moved online. This year, after initially shifting from its usual June dates to the end of August, then moving again to November due to Sydney's lengthy lockdown, SFF is back in cinemas for a huge 12 days of big-screen delights — but it's also going virtual afterwards. Meet SFF On Demand, which'll stream 56 feature-length films and 13 shorts from Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 21. Sydneysiders, that means that you can check out the 2021 festival in-person, then continue it on your couch afterwards. Australians elsewhere, you can still get your SFF fix even if you can't get to Sydney this year. Streaming must-sees include New Zealand's The Justice of Bunny King, which stars Essie Davis (Babyteeth) and Thomasin McKenzie (Old) as a mother-daughter duo; three-time Sundance 2021 winner Hive, the first film to ever win the fest's Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Directing Award; Never Gonna Snow Again, about an eerie Ukrainian masseur making house calls in Poland; and exceptional Iranian drama There Is No Evil, 2020's Berlinale Golden Bear winner. There's also Swan Song, starring the inimitable Udo Kier (Bacurau); Sydney-set slacker comedy Friends and Strangers; Apples, a Greek satire set in the aftermath of an amnesia pandemic; and thriller The Beta Test. And, you can either pick and mix your flicks separately, or choose bundles — including a heap of this year's Documentary Australia Foundation Award contenders, a package of international docos and movies in SFF's Europe! Voices of Women in Film strand.
Think there's just one Hottest 100 in January? Think again. The second important countdown of the month actually goes rather well with the music poll that just proclaimed Billie Eilish's 'bad guy' the nation's best track of 2019. In the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list, great brews are in the spotlight. And, just like its music counterpart, a worthy victor has come out on top. That'd be Stone & Wood, with the Byron Bay brewery no stranger to the top spot. In fact, it won the 2011, 2015 and 2016 polls — and, with its ascent back up to prime position this year, it bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company. The label had four beers in the top 100 list in total, which is clearly something to toast to — ideally with the brand's winning 'Pacific Ale' in your glass, obviously. Clearly, plenty of folks did just that throughout 2019. Run by GABS — or the annual brew fest also known as the 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular' — the countdown is a people's choice poll decided by booze-lovers around the country. Now in its 12th year, a record 35,500 voters took part this time round. Elsewhere on the list, 18 brews that first wet lips in the past year were included in the GABS Hottest 100, and 79 percent of the beers on the list are made by independently owned breweries. If you're particularly keen on either, GABS have also released rundowns of the Hottest 100 New Craft Beers and the Hottest 100 Indie Craft Beers (those owned independently) plus the next 100 from the main countdown. If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Working your way through them isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews — consider it research for the 2020 countdown. From Tuesday, January 28, Dan Murphy's will also be selling 24-packs of beers from the list, which are available through its website. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2019 Stone & Wood 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Balter 'XPA' (Pale ale) QLD Bentspoke 'Crankshaft' (American IPA) ACT * Young Henrys 'Newtowner' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Your Mates 'Larry' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Bridge Road 'Beechworth Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) VIC * Feral 'Biggie Juice' (New England IPA) WA Balter 'Hazy' (New England IPA) QLD NEW Kaiju! 'Krush! Tropical Pale Ale' (Pale ale) VIC * Hop Nation 'Jedi Juice' (New England IPA) VIC * Balter 'IPA' (American IPA) QLD Bentspoke 'Barley Griffin' (Australian pale ale) ACT * Burleigh 'Twisted Palm' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Black Hops 'Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Gage Roads 'Single Fin' (Australian pale ale) WA * Coopers 'XPA' (American pale ale) SA * NEW Bentspoke 'Cluster 8' (Imperial IPA) ACT * Capital 'Hang Loose Juice' (New England IPA) ACT * Coopers 'Original Pale Ale; (Australian pale ale) SA * Balter 'Captain Sensible' (American pale ale) QLD Philter 'XPA' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Black Hops 'Hornet' (American IPA) QLD * Stone & Wood 'Cloud Catcher' (Australian pale ale) NSW * 4 Pines 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW Balter 'Dazy' (Double New England IPA) QLD NEW Balter 'Hazy DC' (New England IPA) QLD NEW 4 Pines 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) NSW Modus Operandi 'Sonic Prayer IPA' (American IPA) NSW * Colonial 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC * Bentspoke 'Sprocket' (American IPA) ACT * Capital 'Coast Ale' (California Common) ACT * James Squire 'One Fifty Lashes' (Australian pale ale) NSW Black Hops 'Super Hornet' (Imperial IPA) QLD * Grifter 'Serpents Kiss' (Fruit beer) NSW * Moon Dog 'Old Mate' (American pale ale) VIC * Grifter 'Pale' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Furphy 'Furphy Refreshing Ale' (Kölsch) VIC Colonial 'South West Sour' (Hoppy sour) WA/VIC * Stomping Ground 'Gipps St Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC * Your Mates 'Sally' (American IPA) QLD * NEW Coopers 'Session Ale' (Pale ale) SA * Brick Lane 'One Love' (Australian pale ale) VIC * Coopers 'Sparkling Ale' (Australian sparkling ale) SA * Dainton 'Blood Orange Neripa' (New England IPA) VIC * Heads Of Noosa 'Japanese Lager' (Pale lager) QLD * NEW Bondi Brewing 'Beach Beer Bondi' (Australian pale ale) NSW * Ballistic 'Oaked XPA' (Pale ale) QLD * 10 Toes 'Pipeline' (Australian pale ale) QLD * Feral 'Imperial Biggie' (Double New England IPA) WA NEW Balter 'IIPA' (Imperial IPA) QLD Feral 'Hop Hog' (American pale ale) WA 10 Toes 'Happy Days' (American IPA) QLD * Capital 'Rock Hopper IPA' (American IPA) ACT * Little Creatures 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC Bentspoke 'Red Nut' (Red IPA) ACT * Young Henrys 'Natural Lager; (Kellerbier) NSW * Modus Operandi 'Former Tenant Red IPA' (Red IPA) NSW * Jetty Road 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC * Mountain Goat 'Goat' (Hoppy lager) VIC Moon Dog 'Splice Of Heaven Pine-Lime' (Milkshake IPA) VIC Big Shed 'Boozy Fruit' (New England IPA) SA * Young Henrys 'Motorcycle Oil' (Porter) NSW * Balter 'Strong Pale Ale' (American pale ale) QLD Colonial 'IPA' (Australian IPA) WA/VIC * Wayward 'Raspberry Berliner Weisse' (Berliner weisse) NSW * Currumbin Valley 'Grape Bubblegum Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * NEW Capital 'Trail Pale Ale' (American pale ale) ACT * Brick Lane 'Base Lager' (Helles lager) VIC * Stone & Wood 'The Gatherer' (American wheat) NSW * Fixation 'Fixation IPA' (American IPA) VIC * Young Henrys 'IPA' (Australian IPA) NSW * NEW Thirsty Crow 'Vanilla Milk Stout' (Sweet stout) NSW * Bentspoke 'How's It Gosen?' (Gose) ACT * NEW Bridge Road 'Beechy XPA' (Australian pale ale) VIC * 10 Toes 'Lager' (Australian pilsner) QLD * Green Beacon 'Wayfarer' (Pale ale) QLD Bondi Brewing 'Bondi Draught' (Australian pilsner) NSW * NEW Capital Big 'Drop Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) ACT * NEW Your Mates 'Macca' (Helles lager) QLD * NEW Brick Lane 'Red Hoppy Ale' (American amber/red) VIC * NEW Hemingway's '7th Heaven Tropical Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * NEW Stone & Wood 'Sticky Nectar' (Milkshake IPA) NSW * Capital 'Evil Eye Red IPA' (Red IPA) ACT * Burleigh 'Bighead' (Pale lager) QLD * Beerfarm 'Asam Boi Gose' (Gose) WA * Black Hops 'Caribbean Haze' (New England IPA) QLD * NEW Hop Nation 'Dreamfeed; (New England IPA) VIC * NEW Nail 'VPA' (Pale Ale) WA * Young Henrys 'Stayer (Mid)' (Hoppy lager) NSW * Moon Dog 'Beer Can' (Hoppy lager) VIC * 4 Pines 'Indian Summer Ale' (American pale ale) NSW Akasha 'Mosaic IPA' (American IPA) NSW * Green Beacon 'Windjammer' (American IPA) QLD Brouhaha 'Strawberry Rhubarb Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * Akasha 'Korben D. Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) NSW * Mountain Goat 'Summer Ale' (Blonde ale) VIC Bridge Road 'Bling IPA' (American IPA) VIC * Range / Mr Banks / Mr West 'Participation Award' (Double New England IPA) QLD * NEW Your Mates 'Donnie' (Porter) QLD * Batch 'Pash The Magic Dragon' (Kettle sour) NSW* * — Brewed by an independent brewery. NEW — First brewed in 2019. Via Brews News. Top image: The Crafty Pint.
It's been home to plenty of Australia's best-known acting names — and a heap of Aussie music stars, too — but when the second half of 2022 hits, the country's most famous fictional roadway will no longer be part of the TV landscape. Thirty-seven years after first whisking viewers off to Ramsay Street, long-running soap opera Neighbours is wrapping up. Whether all of its characters will move to Queensland to join its 80s golden couple Scott and Charlene — aka Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue — is obviously yet to be seen. News of Neighbours' potential demise had been circling for weeks, after its UK network, Channel 5, announced it was dropping the show — leaving the Australian series in need of another British broadcaster, to join its local backer Network Ten, to go on. Sadly for the program's fans, it hasn't been able to find an alternative source of funding, marking the end of the Ramsay Street era. I'll be forever grateful for the experience & the friends I made on @neighbours. We had no idea how big the show would become and how passionately viewers would take it to heart. Pure love! 💞🏡 I can still hear Madge calling … CHARLENE!!!! — Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) March 3, 2022 The show will continue to film until June this year, as announced via social media on Thursday, March 3, with its final episodes from its almost 9000-strong run to air sometime afterwards. Exactly when the world will be saying goodbye to Neighbours hasn't yet been revealed — and neither have any possible plans to bring back any high-profile cast members. The list of well-known faces who've graced the series since its 1985 debut is hefty, all playing characters either living in or connected to the show's cul-de-sac in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. As well as Minogue and Donovan, 80s-era Neighbours boasted a young Guy Pearce and a four-episode stint from Russell Crowe. In the 90s, Natalie Imbruglia got her start there. Margot Robbie and Liam Hemsworth were both regulars in the 00s, and Chris Hemsworth popped up in one 2002 episode before moving over to rival Aussie soap Home and Away. I'm so sorry to hear Neighbours will end. Aside from being the incredible launch pad it's been no one can deny the effect it's had throughout millions of homes around the world. It's bonded all of us in immeasurable ways. A true honour to have been a part of it. Great memories Xx — Guy Pearce (@TheGuyPearce) March 3, 2022 Neighbours' list of celebrity appearances is also sizeable — including The Wiggles, one of the Pet Shop Boys, The Spice Girls' Emma Bunton, The Wombats, Lily Allen, Hanson and pretty much every Aussie celeb who didn't otherwise star in it anyway. Of course, the show's 37 years of twists, amnesia spells, shock returns from the dead, and other Ramsay and Robinson family dramas will live on in our memories — even if, for many of us, Neighbours wasn't an active part of our viewing. Never going anywhere, especially from the part of your brain that knows all the words, is the iconic Neighbours theme tune. That's when good Neighbours songs become good friends, naturally. Neighbours will cease production in June, with its final episodes to air later this year. To watch the series in the interim, head to Network Ten in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. Top image: Manon van Os.
Throughout November, the Leonids meteor shower has been soaring through the skies; however, that's not the only reason to look up this weekend. Take a gander at the sky on Friday, November 19 and you'll also see a 97-percent partial lunar eclipse that's expected to turn the mood a shade of red. You won't even need to shake yourself out of your warm bed at a super-early hour to catch a glimpse, either, because the eclipse will be lurking in the sky on Friday evening just as nightfall hits. If you're wondering what else you need to know, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's the rundown. Unlike May's total lunar eclipse, this one is a 97-percent partial lunar eclipse — so the earth will move between the moon and the sun, but they won't all be completely aligned. Still, when the moon is directly in the earth's actual shadow, it turns a shade of red thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. For a lunar eclipse to occur, there must be a full moon. Based on North American seasons, the November full moon is called a beaver moon because that's when they start to build their winter dams. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Friday, November 19. In Sydney, the partial eclipse is due to begin at 7.34pm, reach its maximum at 8.02pm and end at 11.03pm, while in Melbourne, it'll start at 8.09pm, hit its maximum at 8.12pm and still end at 11.03pm — all according to Timeanddate.com. For Brisbanites, it'll kick off at 6.14pm, reach its maximum at 7.02pm and end at 10.03pm. If you're in Adelaide, those key times are 7.59pm, 8.11pm and 10.33pm. In Perth, you'll get a far more limited view from 6.57pm, with the eclipse hitting its maximum at 7pm and ending at 8.03pm. You'll want to have your cameras at the ready, of course — and see if you can outdo previous big batches of supermoon snaps and super blue blood moon pics. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies. So, city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. If you can't get a clear vantage, Sydney Observatory will be hosting a livestream with Gomeroi yinarr woman, astrophysicist and STEM leader Karlie Alinta Noon, plus Sydney Observatory astrophysicist Dr Andrew Jacob and Sydney Observatory Astronomy Ambassador Kat Ross, from 6.30pm AEST/7.30pm AEDT. The Virtual Telescope Project will also be live-streaming from the skyline above Rome from 5pm AEST/6pm AEDT. The 97 percent partial lunar eclipse will take place on the evening of Friday, November 19. For further information, including about timing, head to either NASA or Timeanddate.com.
Beer festivals are becoming increasingly common, but there aren't many that match the lofty standards set by Melbourne's Brewers Feast. Held in the lush surrounds of the Abbotsford Convent, Brewers Feast takes your tastebuds on a hoppy tour with its expansive range of beers and ciders. There'll be over 80 different brews to try from across Australia and highlights include Sydney's Wayward Brewing Co, Jamieson's Wrong Side Brewing and the well-loved Stone & Wood. In addition, there'll be 16 beers brewed exclusively for the festival, made using rare ingredients and brewed in collaboration with malt, hops and yeast supplier, Bintani. When it's time to pause drinking for a well-earned feed, you can choose from Bigger than Texas BBQ, the solid burgs at Ron's Hand Burger and greek donuts from Honey Dee Loukoumades. Alongside food and drink, there'll be a stellar lineup of local music talent to keep you entertained throughout the festival. Local artists, performing across two stages, will take the novel approach of recommending a beverage to enjoy alongside their tunes. The festivities will run from 11am–8pm on Saturday and 11am–5pm on Sunday. You have to pay for general entry ($37.50 on Saturday and $22.50 on Sunday), and you'll have to pay for all your food and drinks on top of that.
This year's Good Food Month lineup offers loads of great excuses for taking a long, lazy lunch, but if you're in the mood for Turkish food, look no further than Yagiz. On Friday, June 18, and Friday, June 25, the warm and vibrant South Yarra restaurant is serving up a special lunch menu showcasing chef-owner Murat Ovaz's signature modern spin on authentic Turkish cuisine. Take a couple of hours out of your day and duck in here for a three-course feed. The full lunch lineup is being kept under wraps for now, though you can expect to be impressed — Yagiz's regular menu features such creations as confit duck cigars, fried mussels with tarama, brussels sprouts done with pomegranate molasses and dukkah, and a 12-hour braised lamb shoulder complemented by cacik (Turkish yoghurt) and kipfler potatoes. The menu clocks in at $45 for your entree, main and dessert, plus a glass of Turkish wine. [caption id="attachment_815875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption]
Drum roll please: the Groovin the Moo lineup is here, and 2014 looks like a real crowd-pleaser. The big guns this year include a few topnotch international acts, like electronica king Robert Delong (USA) and Dizzee Rascal (UK), as well as some of our well beloved locals like Karnivool, Illy and Architecture in Helsinki. The Naked and Famous (who we'll probably end up claiming as Australian soon) are making their way across the ditch, too. A fair slab of the artists announced have really proved their worth lately, taking out a number of spots in triple j's Hottest 100 of last year, including the winner of the coveted number one spot, Vance Joy. Rounding out the first announcement are Action Bronson, Andy Bull, Cults, Disclosure, Holy Fuck, The Jezabels, The Jungle Giants, Kingswood, The Kite String Tangle, Loon Lake, Parkway Drive, Peking Duck, The Presets, Thundamentals, Violent Soho, Wave Racer and What So Not. This year marks the move towards something new as well, with the very first Groovin the Moo art exhibition. It's running in conjunction with the Maitland Regional Art Gallery, making a space for images, graphics, objects and a mishmash of multimedia from the Groovin the Moo archives to show off the colourful history of the festival itself. It runs from March 7 to May 25, and entry is free. Over the last couple of years we've seen huge changes on the Australian music festival scene, losing some stalwarts and seeing some youngsters really come to fruition. Since its inception, Groovin the Moo has been one of those festivals that really looks like sticking around, bringing the best in Australian and international talent to the country, to the people who can't get to shows in the big smoke. Tickets are $99.90 and go on sale at 9am on February 4 for Victorians, Queenslanders and Western Australians, and at 9am on February 5 for South Australians, New South Welshpeople and Canberrans. Ticket and more information available at the Groovin the Moo website. Fri 25 April – Oakbank SA (ANZAC Day Public Holiday) Oakbank Racecourse Oakwood Road, Oakbank SA Sat 26 April – Maitland NSW Maitland Showground Blomfield St, Maitland NSW Sun 27 April – Canberra ACT University of Canberra Kirinari St, Bruce ACT Sat 3 May – Bendigo VIC Bendigo's Prince Of Wales Showground 42 – 72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo VIC Sun 4 May – Townsville QLD Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds Mervyn Crossman Dr & Murray Lyons Cres, Idalia QLD Sat 10 May – Bunbury WA Hay Park (off) Parade Rd Bunbury WA https://youtube.com/watch?v=uJ_1HMAGb4k
We don't care what you say, fries are the main course at Lord of the Fries, and this Thursday, July 13 the vegetarian fast food joint is giving away free serves of 'em. Just get to one of their stores between 1 and 2pm and you'll be gifted with the greatest gift of all: free shoestring fries. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. Why is this happening? Well, it's National Fry Day — and whether or not this is an actual holiday, it doesn't really matter because a) we should celebrate fried golden potato sticks every day of the year, and b) it's free. Your free fries won't be naked, either. The Lords are throwing in some complementary sauce — they've got Aussie, American, Indian, French Canadian and Malaysian. You know the drill. The free fries will be available at all Australian stores, which includes Melbourne and Sydney. For a full list of Lord of the Fries locations, check out their website.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Bondi are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
As if Kendrick Lamar shows weren't already hard enough to nab tickets to, it's just been announced that the West Coast king will play an uber-exclusive/downright splurge-worthy show in the Bermuda Triangle. Performing this Halloween alongside Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, Kendrick will take the stage in the spookiest place on earth as part of a three-day festival sponsored by Bacardi. Here's hoping he makes it back alive. Unless you're an heiress, Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark, The Bacardi Triangle festival is pretty completely unlike any festival you've ever been to. From October 30–November 2, 1862 guests will descend on the Caribbean via private chartered jet from London, New York and Los Angeles. And it's safe to say they won't be roughing it with a broken tent and goon bag. Festival patrons will be put up at the five-star Waldorf Astoria El Conquistador, treated to intimate poolside performances and then taken to a private island via boat for the main show. Usually we wouldn't even tell you about this kind of stuff. It just makes people feel bad. Who wants to hear about luxurious world-class performances on a private island while they're bunkered over a pint of draught watching young screamo kids at the local bandroom? It's cruel. But this time around, Bacardi Triangle are offering up free tickets. Bacardi are giving away all-expense paid trips and plane tickets to 12 Australian island-less peasants. The price of everything adds up to over $20,000 and the value of the stories you'll have is absolutely priceless. Just head along to their website, tell them in 25 words or less what the weirdest place you've ever partied is and you'll be in the running. Sure, the possibility of winning is sure to be smaller than the actual lottery, but you have nothing to lose and a literal boatload of free Bacardi and epic Kendrick times to gain. The full lineup is yet to be released, but rumour has that it will feature an Aussie electronic act. We'd tell you to keep your eyes peeled for further details, but if you're still reading this you've missed the point entirely. Kendrick Lamar. Bermuda Triangle. Private jets. Actual swimming pools full of liquor. Enter here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=B5YNiCfWC3A
When Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker that they're more than just mortal enemies, it became one of the most famous lines of dialogue in movie history (and one of the most mis-quoted). If you've seen Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, you'll know that it's a powerful, memorable moment that changes the shape of the entire space saga. Even if you haven't, you know what we're talking about. Now, imagine just how epic it'll feel when you're watching the flick on a big screen and listening to John Williams' iconic score played by a live orchestra. Yes, The Force is strong in Melbourne once more, with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra staging the next in their series of Star Wars screenings and performances on December 15 and 16 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Jedis, wookiees and droids alike can expect two nights of tussles between the Rebels and the Empire, Luke learning his true parentage, Han flirting with Leia and getting frozen in carbon, Chewbacca being awesome, R2-D2 being adorable and C-3PO being annoying (well, he is). Plus, it's the flick that marks the first appearance of Lando Calrissian and the first time 'The Imperial March' is heard. Conductor Nicholas Buc will be leading the charge again, and expect an energetic performance — it's his favourite Star Wars score. "Williams' bombastic music for Darth Vader has since come to represent everything evil in the Star Wars universe and, combined with his new love theme for Han and Leia, this score improves on everything that he started in Episode IV," he notes. If you're thinking that it's a great time to be a Melburnian fan of the George Lucas-created franchise, then you're right — The Last Jedi is still in cinemas, Solo: A Star Wars Story is only three months away and Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope just screened with a live orchestra this past weekend. And, if you're a Sydneysider or Brisbanite with a good feeling about joining in the fun, we recommend crossing your lightsabers and trusting that the force will deliver. Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back will screen at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on December 15 and 16, 2018. Grab tickets here.
Tabloid headlines aside, Allied reaches screens with a dose of deja vu. After all, this isn't the first film where we've seen Brad Pitt discover that marriage and espionage don't make for a good mix. The good news: his latest vehicle is nothing like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Actually, that's great news. Proving far more engaging than that mediocre 2005 action-comedy isn't a big challenge, but it's one that Allied is up to— even if the end result: a war-torn, spy-centric drama doesn't always hit the mark. Partially styled after (and sharing its initial setting with) classic World War II romance Casablanca, Allied poses an age-old question in a specific context: how well does anyone actually know the people that they love? Faced with this dilemma are Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) and French resistance fighter Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard), who play husband and wife in an undercover mission to dispatch with a German ambassador, only to find their faux affection becoming real. Returning from Morocco to London, wedded bliss beckons, though the combat continues to rage. Then Max receives a startling briefing, with Marianne accused of working for Germany and sharing information about the efforts of the Allies. Accordingly, Allied becomes a film of two distinctive halves — and while both could've made for intriguing viewing if they'd been individually fleshed out to feature length, they prove slight and predictable when paired together. Making audiences want more is what all movies aim for, but here it's a case of wanting one or the other. Trying to offer a tale of spies falling in love out in the field, as well as an account of one partner investigating the other's possible betrayal, Allied flirts with more feeling, depth and interest than it shows, but remains trapped by linking the two into one narrative. Thankfully, though surprises are largely absent, saving graces are plentiful. Pitt and Cotillard mightn't boast overwhelmingly convincing chemistry together, but each turn in fine performances in both the romantic and dramatic parts of the feature. The former plays charming but conflicted with ease, and there's a reason that the latter keeps being cast in complex, potentially duplicitous roles. They're also ably supported by Jared Harris (The Crown) as the man tasked with making Max peer deeper into the affairs of his wife, despite the obvious pain it causes. Director Robert Zemeckis, a veteran of everything from Back to the Future to Forrest Gump, performs his duties ably, mainly in making the movie look the part. Allied is an elegant affair that seems like a response to the complaint that they just don't make them like they used to. That includes giving the feature a glossy sheen, as though it might've been shot on a studio lot seven decades ago, and inexplicably rendering the end credits text in the largest font you've probably ever seen in a closing crawl. Perhaps over-statement is the key — or perhaps it just gives an indication of the age of the intended audience of this passable period throwback.
If we can glean any positive takeaways from 2020, one of them has been our renewed appreciation for a casual get-together with friends. While nothing replaces the joy of hitting up your local for a few cold ones with your mates, the benefits of staying home include having the time to play games, the freedom to listen to your own music and the chance to show off the cooking skills you perfected during lockdown. To help you make the most of barbecue season, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you a guide to flexing your hosting skills around the grill this summer. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption] SWAP SAUSAGE SIZZLE FOR GOURMET SANGAS Snags are easy, which is precisely why you're going to give them a miss this time around. When you want to level up your grilled feast, swap out the sausages for a platter of steak sandwiches topped with caramelised onions and gruyere (for when you're really flexing). Pick up a ciabatta loaf, flank steak or bavette, and a few large onions, red wine vinegar and brown sugar to make the caramelised onions. You can caramelise the onions ahead of time, and warm up the ciabatta just before serving time. For those who'd like a little helping hand, Jamie Oliver has a good steak sandwich recipe, as does Gourmet Traveller. It's your turn to play MasterChef contestant, so get creative, and if you've got fussy eaters, present each ingredient individually at a serving station so that everyone feels part of the process. [caption id="attachment_786453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] SWAP CHIPS AND DIP FOR PIMPED-UP POTATOES Leave the corn chips on the supermarket shelf. Instead, pick up some chats, corn on the cob and prosciutto and create bowls of potato salad fancy enough to match your gourmet steak sandwiches. First, bring a pot of potatoes to the boil and cook until they're soft but still retain their shape. Leave to cool and slice into halves or quarters. Bring a pan to high heat and crisp up chunks of prosciutto until crispy. Now, make up some spiked sour cream (silken tofu, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, chilli powder and cayenne pepper) and add it to the cooled potatoes along with strips of prosciutto and a pinch of smoked paprika. To add to the feast, grill corn on the cob and leave part of the husks intact for hands-on snacking. [caption id="attachment_786622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] SWAP FRIDGE BEERS FOR PREMIXERS OR COCKTAILS Your mates aren't going to turn up at your house empty handed, and we bet they'll bring a couple of beers along as usual. So, as you're the host, make sure you have a slab of something else to change up the booze options. We suggest picking up cans of Jim Beam and Cola, a premixed drink of Jim Beam's famed American bourbon and cola that pairs well with barbecued meat flavours. Keep the cans on ice, chilled and ready for your guests to drink from the can or to serve themselves over ice in a glass. If you like to add a little something extra, prep some wedges of lime for a citrusy addition to the premixed drinks. Or, if you have a bottle of Jim Beam in your drinks cabinet, make up a quick cocktail with 15ml of lemon cordial and 30ml of bourbon in a highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda and a wedge of lemon. [caption id="attachment_762521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Nopanen[/caption] SWAP ARVO FOR SUNSET It can be hard to pin people down for a date if your event runs all through the day and into the night. So, make things easier for everyone by hosting yours after the peak sunshine hours when everyone can relax into their evenings and enjoy dinner together. If you have epic views from your abode, make the most of golden hour and take lots of photos just before the sun sets (trust us, you'll look amazing). And, when the sun has gone down, have lots of atmospheric lighting ready to go — think vintage festoon lighting, or a lit fire pit if you have one. Need inspiration? The Party People has clear, colourful, disco ball-shaped and festive lights for sale with delivery available across Australia. [caption id="attachment_787327" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro[/caption] SWAP TABLES AND CHAIRS FOR PICNIC RUGS Use the best of what you already have to your advantage. Got a picnic rug? Camping chairs? Cushions? You can make a cosy and super casual chill out area in your backyard, no matter how much space you have. Your mates will love your creativity, and it'll create an environment where everyone feels relaxed and able to kick off their shoes without feeling trapped at a dining table. Go one better and gather all your pot plants from around the house and bring your green friends to the party, too. It'll create a mini oasis where you might otherwise have had a lifeless concrete patio. Looking to add to your indoor jungle? The Plant People delivers low-maintenance plants across Australia. Or see our lists of the best places to buy new plants in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
"Sixteen-year-old Billie's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons." So reads the synopsis for 52 Tuesdays, the striking debut feature from Adelaide-based filmmaker Sophie Hyde. A nuanced exploration of issues surrounding youth, gender, sexuality and family, the film is also remarkable for its unique method of production: shot chronologically, one scene every Tuesday, for the course of an entire year. Hyde and lead actor Tilda Cobham-Hervey have since seen their little indie scoop up awards at Sundance, Berlin and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. It hits cinemas in Australia on May 1. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y5WcMzEYRGU STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD "The rules came first," recalls Hyde. "In film now, there has to be something that helps you stand out, especially if you're coming at it from a low budget, and you're unknown …the truth though is that we're always interested in different ways of making something …and that's something I'd take into anything. Let's not do something because it's always been done. Let's do something because it feels right." "You can't hide the messiness of a year," chimes in Cobham-Hervey. "You're always going to have a pimple, or you've just had a fight with Mum, and you actually can't stop the real world from coming into the film, which I think inevitably drenched it in a reality and authenticity." BECOMING BILLIE With a background in theatre and circus, Cobham-Hervey's role as Billie marked her first time in front of the camera. "It didn't feel like a huge commitment at the beginning," says the fledgling actress, who was in year 11 when shooting began. "Then suddenly halfway through we all had that realisation that this is really massive!" "I felt very different before it started to what I did at the end," she continues. "It was that interesting thing of initially not feeling very much like the character, and then reaching that point in the middle where those lines were really blurred … I don't know what I'd be without it." QUESTIONS OF GENDER As impressive as Cobham-Hervey's performance is, equally memorable is the work of Del Herbert-Jane as Billie's mother. "Del identifies as gender non-conforming", explains Hyde. "Whereas the character is a transgender man and wants to be seen as a man. So they're really different. But I think there is an experience in Del, in feeling different from how people treat you, which is something that's hard to understand if you don't experience that." "It's one of the great things that I feel like I learnt making the film", Hyde continues, "realising that every single person I meet treats me as my gender, and I treat them as their gender, and we just make this assumption immediately. If you try and take gender out of a sentence, you have to change like thirty words." "I found it hard in the film," agrees Cobham-Hervey, "saying in the same sentence, 'Mum' and 'he'. That's really hard to do in your brain." GETTING PEOPLE TALKING Despite the film's festival pedigree, local success is by no means a guarantee. "It's a story about family. It's a story about queer issues. It's about young people. And it's got a very arthouse vibe. Those are really quite different audiences," muses Hyde. "People, when they've seen it, respond in a really personal way. But whether we can get to all of those people, I don't know. "The truth is Australian films don't attract huge audiences at the cinemas … most films that we see now have marketing budgets three times their film budget, and their film budgets are hundreds of times ours." Nevertheless, the director hopes people will go to the effort to see the film in a theatre. "[In Berlin] we were playing in a young person's strand, and talked to loads of teenagers, which was amazing," says Hyde. "These sorts of films are great to see with a cinema audience, where you might actually have a conversation afterwards." 52 Tuesdays is in cinemas on Thursday, May 1. You can read our full review of the movie here.
Intelligent machines that interact with humans have long been a sci-fi staple in books, cartoons and film. Whether the future will hold the doe-eyed Haley Joel Osment of Artificial Intelligence or the all-destroying Terminator is still the stuff of fiction, but the fact is thinking machines are already among us, watching us, and telling us what to drink. Japanese beverage company JR East Water Business Co. have created the ultimate in customer service with the Acure vending machine. This oversized box can be found on train platforms in Shinagawa and Tokyo. It boasts a 47-inch touch screen and a camera that uses inbuilt technology to detect sensory data, including the age and sex of the individual standing before it. When the hi-tech device is idle it engages in its 'intelligent marketing system' whereby advertisements relevant to the season, weather and time of day are displayed. If it’s a cold winter’s eve you can expect a nice warm cup of cocoa tempting you on its LCD. While it offers demographically targeted drink selections it also collects marketing data, which is stored and then collated by the company. Launching their first Acure vending machine in August 2010, they already know the most frequent users of the device are men in their 30s and that an inordinate number of juices are bought by them at night. [Via Hypebeast]
UPDATE: October 10, 2020: Bloodshot is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Vin Diesel as Frankenstein's monster? Vin Diesel reliving the same events over and over again, Edge of Tomorrow-style, to right a past wrong? Vin Diesel filled with tiny robots — including in a Terminator-esque scene where half his face is exposed, revealing the nanotechnology gleaming beneath his flesh? Throw in shades of Universal Soldier and RoboCop as well (and some speedy car chases, because Diesel sure does love getting fast and furious behind the wheel), and that's Bloodshot. Yes, as well as tasking Diesel with playing a US soldier brought back from the dead, Bloodshot attempts to revive a variety of parts itself — all cobbled and spliced together from multiple other science-fiction stories and action flicks. That makes it a Frankenstein's monster of a movie as a whole, and the seams show at every point during this patchwork affair. Indeed, the fact that Bloodshot is actually based on a comic book character dating back to 1992 doesn't seem anywhere near as important to first-time feature director David SF Wilson as nodding at a heap of other pop culture titles. The same proves true for screenwriters Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer, with the former stuck in the derivative mode he demonstrated in this year's Fantasy Island (which he both wrote and directed), and the latter leaning more on his experience on remakes of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Thing than on his screenplays for Arrival or Bird Box. Bloodshot's premise: after not only being executed by a terrorist (Toby Kebbell) in the line of duty, but watching his wife Gina (Talulah Riley) murdered in front of him first, Ray Garrison (Diesel) awakens in Rising Spirit Tech's lab. The company has resurrected him using cutting-edge tech know-how, as head honcho Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) explains, and the soldier is now its shiny super-enhanced prototype. At first, Ray can't remember anything from his past; however memories of Gina's untimely end weave their way back into his brain. And, although he's supposed to be working as part of RST's similarly tech-augmented team, he only has supremely violent vengeance at any cost in his sights. An unnecessarily prolonged scene featuring a psycho killer dancing to Talking Heads' 'Psycho Killer' aside, Bloodshot is initially economical with its storytelling, cutting to the crux quickly. But in what's designed to be an origin tale that kickstarts a new franchise — the Valiant Comics shared cinematic universe — the twists arrive swiftly as well. Actually, they hit even sooner if you're paying even the slightest amount of attention and you know your pop culture history. Bloodshot might be drawn from the page but, on the big screen, it's so generic and reminiscent of such a large number other works that it's devoid of any surprises, even if you've never read the source material. That been-there, done-that feeling also applies to Diesel, who, at this point in his career, could glare menacingly, growl threats in his gravelly tone and do whatever he needs to for his various on-screen families in his sleep. As previously seen in the Fast and Furious franchise, the xXx franchise and even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (albeit without the stare given that Groot is 100-percent CGI), Bloodshot calls upon all those trademarks. And, like everything else in the film, Diesel just seems like he's borrowing from his past material. He's at his best when he's letting the smallest trace amount of humour sink in, as is the movie too, but that's not all that often. In fact, Bloodshot doesn't appear to know how far to ramp up its laughs or liveliness, primarily settling for serious, slick and oh-so standard rather than injecting any personality into proceedings. Elsewhere, Pearce wades through the feature's many tropes with more commitment than the film perhaps asks for, in what's still a boilerplate scientist role. Baby Driver's Eiza González effectively adds a dose of sensitivity, while New Girl's Lamorne Morris is the only actor who appears to be enjoying his work — although they too play parts that seem to have been written on autopilot. That's perhaps Bloodshot's biggest struggle. It's so wedded to slotting into a specific stitched-together mould that it squanders the very few highlights it manages to rustle up. In action scenes, standout moments are dwarfed by cartoonishness. Whenever the feature gains even a skerrick of big dumb action movie-style momentum, it attempts to get deep by pondering fate and free will. And, as is so often the case in flicks trying to spawn new franchises, it's more interested in setting up future instalments than the details at hand. Diesel might be looking for another big series to add to his resume, but absolutely nothing about this thin star vehicle screams for a follow-up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-7ACXBRP-g
If you're the type of movie buff who likes watching new release films on the big screen, popcorn in one hand and choc top in the other, then your viewing habits have undergone some drastic changes in recent weeks. First, upcoming blockbuster flicks started postponing their release dates due to COVID-19. Then, cinemas across Australia began closing — initially by choice, and then by government decree. As a result, no one is gathering in a darkened room to soak in some movie magic from the silver screen any time soon. In the US, a number of studios have been making the leap to online releases, as a way of still letting audiences access and watch their latest films while everyone is staying home. Australian distributors have been slower to take the same jump, but now Roadshow Films has announced that it's fast-tracking a heap of its recent flicks to digital — so you can catch Margot Robbie's chaotic antics in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), check out the Michael B. Jordan-starring legal drama Just Mercy or get a dose of Guy Ritchie's latest British crime caper The Gentlemen all from your couch. In total, 12 recent big-screen releases have been earmarked for digital rental, although some — Joker, Hustlers and The Good Liar — were already available via home entertainment formats anyway. Other titles include entertaining Karate Kid-style Aussie go-karting flick Go!, which stars Richard Roxburgh as an ex-champ reluctantly mentoring an eager teen; Clint Eastwood-directed true crime drama Richard Jewell, about the bombing at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta; and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, the partially crowdfunded big-screen spin-off from the beloved Australian mystery TV series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHkNiIyl3I Most of these movies were still in theatres when cinemas started closing in Australia. Some, such as Ben Affleck vehicle The Way Back — where he plays an alcoholic former basketball star who starts coaching his old high school's team — had actually only started screening at the beginning of March. Either way, being made available to watch at home so quickly marks a big change for the local film industry, with films usually only jumping to DVD and streaming 90 days after they first hit cinemas — although Netflix movies such as Roma, The Irishman and Marriage Story, plus Amazon titles like Brittany Runs a Marathon and The Report, have all been challenging that fixed window in recent years. For Roadshow, it'll be dropping different films online from different dates, with rentals via GooglePlay and iTunes. Check out the full list of titles and dates below: Joker: available now Hustlers: available now The Good Liar: available now Go!: available now Midway: available now Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn): available Saturday, March 28 Just Mercy: available Saturday, March 28 Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears: available Monday, March 30 The Gentlemen: available Tuesday, March 31 Richard Jewell: available Wednesday, April 1 Motherless Brooklyn: available Wednesday, April 1 The Way Back: available Wednesday, April 15 Roadshow's fast-tracked films are available to rent via GooglePlay and iTunes. To find out further details, visit the distributor's website. Top image: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
That soothing feeling that sweeps over you when you spy a cute canine, spend too much time watching internet cat videos or even just spot a picture of a newborn animal — that's the feeling at the heart of Australia's newest wellness sessions. Sure, you've been to kitten yoga and puppy pilates, and they're both great. But we're guessing that you haven't tried meditating with baby goats or getting mindful with soft, cuddly lambs. Currently held in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, with plans to expand to the Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Melbourne in the near future, attendees at Karmably's classes attempt to find inner bliss while they're surrounded by rescued baby farm animals. In short, it's the best way to de-stress when life's got your goat. After all, who can remain overwhelmed, exhausted or annoyed when they're sharing their chill-out session with actual goats? The classes focus on relaxation techniques, and boast names such as Breathe In & Bleat Out and Breathing and Baa-ing, which gives you an idea of just what's in store. Those heading along can expect three parts to each session: mindful stretching, meditation and snuggling the four-legged participants. If you're wondering where the concept came from, it was inspired by organiser Berenice Tan's own experiences trying to find something other than the usual mindfulness classes within Australia. Unimpressed with the options already available, she flew to Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco "and experienced every meditation class under the sun," she explains. "Funnily enough, I heard about goat yoga and laughed it off as something ridiculous I wasn't interested in trying." Upon returning to Brisbane, Tan began to research animal therapy and, after learning of the benefits (and realising that everyone loves cute critters), her sessions with goats, lambs and even piglets were born. The bliss goes both ways, too — with Karmably not only helping humans to relax in a fun manner, but also assisting animals in need. Tan works with sanctuaries, rescue centres, and organisations such as Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts, Brisbane Pony Parties and My Little Farm Friends. They're all outfits that raise baby creatures who have either been rejected by their mothers or lost their mums in other ways, and hand-rear them until they can be adopted out as pets to families who live on suitable properties. After setting up shop in August, classes in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast are already selling out two months in advance. To meet the demand, they're now held every weekend at various locations, but reserving a spot early is a necessity. Folks in Sydney and Melbourne should watch this space — although New South Wales is no stranger to combining wellness with farm animals, with the state home to a goat yoga retreat just last year. Karmably hosts Breathe In & Bleat Out and Breathing and Baa-ing meditation and mindfulness sessions at a variety of Brisbane and Gold Coast venues — visit the Karmably Facebook page for further details.
When a supermoon graced the skies in April, you probably trotted out to your backyard to stare at the heavens. And, you might've nabbed a decent-enough look at the impressive lunar sight. But if you'd like to get a bit closer to the astronomical body during this month's next supermoon — the second and last for 2021 — you now have the option of jumping on a plane. On Wednesday, May 26, Qantas is running a special supermoon flight — and yes, its sole purpose is to let its passengers get a better look at the moon. Not only will the date bring a supermoon, but there'll be a full lunar eclipse as well. That's when the Earth gets between the sun and the moon, covering the latter with its shadow and giving it a reddish hue. If you'd like to take to the skies, rather than just peer up at them, you'll need to be in Sydney. Just one supermoon flight is departing from Sydney Domestic Airport (T3) at 7.30pm, and only just over 100 seats will be available. Passengers will hop onto a B787 Dreamliner, then take a three-hour trip over the city — including Sydney Harbour — complete with a stint cruising above the clouds at 43,000 feet for maximum moon viewing. The lunar eclipse is due to begin at 6.47pm, reach its maximum at 9.18pm and end at 11.49pm, according to Timeanddate.com, so you'll be in the air at the absolute best time. Before departing, you'll also enjoy a cocktail party in the Qantas business lounge from 5.30pm. And, once you're onboard, you'll eat, drink, lock your eyes on the window and listen to CSIRO astronomer Dr Vanessa Moss — who'll be giving a live commentary, and also working with the pilots in advance to design the optimal flight path. Unsurprisingly, tickets for the supermoon flight don't come cheap — starting at $499 for economy, $899 for premium economy and $1499 for business. To offset the environmental impact of taking to the sky purely to get a closer look at the moon, Qantas will offset 100 percent of the flight's carbon emissions. Qantas' supermoon flight will depart Sydney Domestic Airport (T3) at 7.30pm on Wednesday, May 26, with tickets going on sale at 12pm on Tuesday, May 12.
It has been more than two months since wearing a face mask was made compulsory in metropolitan Melbourne, with residents currently required to wear a facial covering in the few situations they are permitted to leave their homes. And while many of the city's other strict restrictions are slowly easing — including the curfew, which ended at 5am today, Monday, September 28 — the rules around wearing a mask have just gotten more stringent. As part of the step two requirements, with metropolitan Melbourne entering that phase from 11.59pm on Sunday, September 27, the only face coverings that are now acceptable are fitted face masks that cover the nose and mouth. Although bandanas, scarves and face shields were previously considered acceptable, that's no longer the case. Announcing the change yesterday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews advised that with some limits regarding gatherings and attending work easing, the face mask rules have tightened. "With more people moving across our city, our public health team have advised the rules around wearing a mask need to be strengthened," he said. "Some of the concessions we made as we adjusted to this new normal — things like wearing a scarf or a bandana or a face shield — will no longer apply." While the new fitted face mask requirement came into effect last night, Melburnians will be given time to comply. According to the document released by Premier Andrews that outlines the full set of rules under step two, "there will be a one-week grace period in enforcement". https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1310057359398465536 If you're now wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
From moving road trip dramas and joyous concert documentaries to passionate anthologies and wondrous animation, plenty of excellent films reached screens large and small throughout 2020. Indeed, the past 12 months have been filled with cinematic delights — even when we've been watching them at home while movie theatres were closed — but, sadly, they can't all be great. Each year delivers its fair share of exceptional and awful movies, of course. And, both the best and the worst of the bunch can all score awards. The Oscars and the Golden Globes rank among the accolades that recognise the former, while the Golden Raspberries devotes its attention to the other end of the spectrum — and it has just revealed its latest contenders. Leading the pack among the 41st Razzie Award nominations are Polish erotic drama 365 Days, which nabbed six nods and became the awards' first-ever contender in a language other than English; and Dolittle, the Robert Downey Jr-starring remake that hit cinemas before the pandemic, and was also recognised in six categories. Also scoring more nominations than any movie would like: the horror version of Fantasy Island, which picked up five; the terrible Sia-directed Music, which notched up four; Netflix drama Hillbilly Elegy, with three; and Netflix comedies Hubie Halloween and The Wrong Missy, also with three each. None of these nominees are surprising in the least, although some films deserve their nods in a different way. Take Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, for instance — which is smart, funny and savage, and definitely not terrible, but scored two nominations for Rudy Giuliani (for worst supporting actor, and for worst screen combo with Maria Bakalova). Other movies vying for the Razzies include Wonder Woman 1984 (for worst supporting actress, and worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel), The Very Excellent Mr Dundee (for worst supporting actor), Call of the Wild (for worst screen combo, between Harrison Ford and that totally fake-looking CGI dog) and The Witches (for worst actress). Reflecting the past year's general chaos, the Razzies are also handing out a special trophy to the 2020 overall, naming it 'the worst calendar year ever'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgnHhMLNJE The 2020 Razzie Award winners will be announced on Sunday, April 25, Australian and New Zealand time. Check out the full list of nominees below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES 2020: WORST PICTURE 365 Days Absolute Proof Dolittle Fantasy Island Music WORST ACTOR Robert Downey Jr, Dolittle Mike Lindell, Absolute Proof Michele Morrone, 365 Days Adam Sandler, Hubie Halloween David Spade, The Wrong Missy WORST ACTRESS Anne Hathaway, The Last Thing He Wanted and The Witches Katie Holmes, Brahms: The Boy II and The Secret: Dare to Dream Kate Hudson, Music Lauren Lapkus, The Wrong Missy Anna-Maria Sieklucka, 365 Days WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Chevy Chase, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee Rudy Giuliani (as himself), Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Shia LeBeouf, The Tax Collector Arnold Schwarzenegger, Iron Mask Bruce Willis, Breach, Hard Kill and Survive the Night WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Lucy Hale, Fantasy Island Maggie Q, Fantasy Island Kristen Wiig, Wonder Woman 1984 Maddie Ziegler, Music WORST SCREEN COMBO Maria Bakalova and Rudy Giuliani, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Robert Downey Jr and his utterly unconvincing Welsh accent, Dolittle Harrison Ford and that totally fake-looking CGI dog, Call of the Wild Lauren Lapkus and David Spade, The Wrong Missy Adam Sandler and his grating simpleton voice, Hubie Halloween WORST DIRECTOR Charles Band, All three Barbie and Kendra movies Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes, 365 Days Stephen Gaghan, Dolittle Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy Sia, Music WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL 365 Days Dolittle Fantasy Island Hubie Halloween Wonder Woman 1984 WORST SCREENPLAY 365 Days All three Barbie and Kendra movies Dolittle Fantasy Island Hillbilly Elegy
Social enterprise café and caterer Kinfolk is expanding, adding another venue to its name and making the love it spreads stretch a little further — launching a café called Sibling by Kinfolk in Carlton North. The organisation strives to create an inclusive community, counteracting social isolation via a volunteer-run, self-sufficient café, which donates all profits to its charity partners: Cathy Freeman Foundation and Asylum Seekers Resource Centre. The waitlist to volunteer at Kinfolk is long — some positive news in a world often overwhelmed with negative headlines — there are so many people wanting to join that prospective volunteers are often waiting for months. Currently, Kinfolk has 60 weekly volunteers, from more than 30 different countries, including those living with a disability, transitioning from prison, or seeking asylum. With the launch of Sibling, they'll be able to double the size of their volunteer program — providing guidance, support and a shared friendly space. Before the team launches Sibling, however, it needs the community's help to get it off the ground. What help exactly? It's crowdfunding $60,000 for the cause. $60K seems like a lot — well, it is — but the team has already passed the half-way mark, and is hoping to reach target by August 29. Also, you don't just get warm fuzzies in return for your donation — you get coffee, masterclasses, hampers, dinner and warm fuzzies. Donate $30 and you'll get a bag of Small Batch coffee, $50 will get you a composting masterclass, and $80 will get you a meal for two. Have more cash to splash? $465 will get you a handmade ceramic cup and three months of bottomless coffee at either venues. The crowdfunding campaign for Sibling by Kinfolk will wrap up on Wednesday, August 29. To donate, head to startsomegood.com. Image: Kinfolk
