Melburnians, dig out your picnic baskets out and dream up some event plans — you're about to get a new pop-up park for summer. And it's right in the CBD. You'll find the 375-square-metre pedestrian-free space on Elizabeth Street's eastern side, where it runs into Flinders Street. Look out for fake turf, portable street furniture, lots of trees and oversized planters. "[It] will be a great location for small scale events, as well as everyday enjoyment," said Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. "We expect the park to be well used by pedestrians who access the corner of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street during peak periods." Even though the park has been labelled a pop-up, it's actually a rehearsal for real-life. The City of Melbourne intends to close this section of Elizabeth Street for good and, by the end of year, build a permanent public space to the tune of $2.2 million. There'll be bluestone paving, drainage improvements, better lighting, more trees and new street furniture. Between 2004 and 2015, the number of vehicles using Elizabeth Street dropped by 65 percent. These days, the average morning rush hour sees about 9300 pedestrians pass by, in comparison with 73 vehicles. If you've been following development news, you might know that construction of the permanent public space was supposed to start in 2018, but got delayed due to a $40 million development at 276 Flinders Street. The park will pop up sometime in December and remain in-place until February 2018.
If you're looking to join the cycling revolution, you won't find many stores with a better pedigree than Beasley Cycles to help you get kitted out. With numerous Australian cycling champions and Tour de France participants among the family's ranks, Beasley Cycles has been passed down through generations of passionate cyclists since 1919. Stocking a massive range of bicycles, apparel and equipment that'll soon have you summiting mountains — or at least getting from A to B — Beasley Cycles can sort you out with a new roadie or e-bike in no time at all.
Housed in the vibrant Cathedral Arcade off Flinders Lane, Lenko describe themselves as a designer of "cute things with a dark side". Accordingly, when flicking through the racks of this colourful boutique you can expect to see a lot of twee animal faces and statement pieces — they don't shy away from emblazoning a naughty word across your shirt. Though they stock original pieces by designer and boutique owner Dana Lenko, the store also offers clothing from other likeminded brands. And yes, they do cater to boys. As long as those boys aren't afraid to wear a jumper with a dolphin on it.
The next seven nights will see parts of Alice Springs and its surrounds shine brighter than ever before, as the region's third annual Parrtjima - A Festival In Light delivers its most expansive program yet. The free public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling is perhaps best known for its dazzling light installations, as First Nations' identity is shared across a whole swag of genres. This year, Parrtjima — the nation's first indigenous festival of its kind — will feature seven of these luminous displays, gracing both Alice Springs Desert Park and for the first time, Todd Mall in the Alice Springs CBD. The expanded CBD program includes a series of huge lit-up caterpillar designs, as well as a symbolic 'river of light' LED projection, flowing through the mall precinct in a striking display of textures, colours and patterns. Just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park will also come alive, awash with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, this year working to the theme "from sunset to sunrise" with a more immersive light show experience than ever before. Visitors will be able to weave through a series of large-scale tree-inspired light sculptures for the Forest Space installation, or immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of Grounded, where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. There's the interactive Colour Space booth, featuring over 500 individually controlled LEDs responding to each person's movements, and even a hands-on kids' playground space, with captivating designs by Keringke Arts. The light installations are backed by a jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. If you can't get to the red centre this week, the images show just how incredible the landscape looks lit up at night. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from September 28 until October 7 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
For decades, Victoria Street has been affectionately known as Melbourne's Little Vietnam, lined with long-standing, authentic eateries specialising in hearty bowls of pho and freshly wrapped rice paper rolls. Now, one sister duo is out to help push that tradition into a whole new era with the strip's newest resident: Thy Thy Counter & Canteen. Thuy Lu and Thy Vo's new casual mod-Viet restaurant marks a changing of the guard, as they take over the same corner site that once housed one of their parents' eateries — named Tho Tho. The family has deep roots in the street's dining scene, with parents Trang Le and Van Ho opening both the OG Thy Thy and Thy Thy 2 on Vic Street in the 80s. [caption id="attachment_830390" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Pete Dillon[/caption] While back-to-back lockdowns have meant the second-generation restaurateurs haven't had much of a chance to show off their new family project since its launch in July, Thy Thy Counter & Canteen is now on track to reopen on Friday, October 29. The restaurant celebrates the family's South Vietnamese heritage, while also embracing other regional flavours encountered on more recent trips through the country's north. In the role of head chef, Mum Le is deftly blending the traditional with the modern, with plenty of long-held family recipes getting a spin. [caption id="attachment_830386" align="alignnone" width="1987"] Image: Pete Dillon[/caption] Classics are in strong supply, with options like bo bop thau (wagyu beef salad), banh hoi (rice vermicelli cake), Vietnamese-style slaws and a range of goi cuon (rice paper rolls). You'll find a swag of stir-frys, vermicelli bowls and signature rice dishes, while a special beef pho heads the selection of noodle soups. In the coming weeks, there'll be more specials added to the lineup, too — think, bun bo hue (Hue-style spicy beef noodle soup), traditional broths and a rotation of banh mi rolls. [caption id="attachment_830412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Pete Dillon[/caption] An onsite grocery offering is also in the works, set to sell a selection of take-home meals and branded merch. The light-filled, minimalist space offers a fresher feel than some of the more traditional Vietnamese joints on the same street, with polished concrete floors and generous pops of colour a reminder that change is afoot on Vic Street. Find Thy Thy Counter & Canteen at 60-66 Victoria Street, Richmond. It'll open from 11am–late, daily. Images: Pete Dillon
The Australian Shakespeare Company celebrates 30 years of Shakespeare Under the Stars with the presentation of one of the historic playwright's best known and darkest tragedies: Macbeth. The play will take over Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens from December 21 until February 23, 2019, with performances every Tuesday through Sunday night. A story of the conflict between morality and power, the new production features an all-star Aussie cast, including Nathaniel Dean (Alien: Covenant, The Secret River) as Macbeth and Alison Whyte (Frontline, Satisfaction) as Lady Macbeth. The play follows the lead character as he becomes consumed by ambition, following a prophecy that he will become the King of Scotland. Together with his power-hungry wife, the murderous couple unravel into guilt and paranoia throughout the play. Patrons are encouraged to pack a picnic, nab a spot on the grass and enjoy the sunset before becoming silent witnesses to the gruesome fate of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from 8.30pm. As an added bonus, tickets aren't too pricy, with general admission setting you back $45–50 and gold class packages costing $90. The latter gets you a low rise chair, picnic rug and souvenir programme, plus a pre-show beverage (wine or soft drink) and intermission tea or coffee.
Greenhart Wine Bar on Toorak Road was your neighbourhood vino-sipping spot. The team paired its natural wines with small, sustainably sourced plates or Euro-centric food — replicating a tried-and-tested hospo combo. Even though it made so much sense for the area, it recently shut down and was taken over by Benjamin Ruan (Benjamin's Kitchen). Instead of going down the common Melbourne wine bar route that's mostly about European influences, he's decided to put his own pan-Asian stamp on the new Greenhart Camberwell. So, instead of pairing a riesling with your usual fresh oysters, match it with a serving of the team's handmade chicken and prawn wontons in a warming bowl of vegetable broth. And forget your cheese platters and charcuterie boards. Change it up with a few soft-shell crab sliders, san choi baos and curry puffs. Larger dishes are also available, including the crispy rockling covered in a ginger, soy and sake sauce; sticky pork belly with chilli caramel and crushed pineapple; roasted duck glazed with hoisin and whisky; and a stack of noodles and curries. Many of these eats are favourites from Benjamin's Kitchen in Alphington, which Ruan has adapted for the wine bar setting. Wines are a mostly Aussie affair, with a few drops from Italy and France thrown in for good measure. For a wine bar, the wine list could be a bit longer, but it's still early days for Greenhart Camberwell. A healthy selection of spirits, Australian and Japanese beers, and cocktails are also up for grabs. Tuck into all of these offerings inside at the bar or by the window to watch folks wander down Toorak Road, or head to the hidden courtyard out back when the sun is shining. It's great to see a Melbourne wine bar stray away from the usual European aesthetic, instead showing how contemporary Asian food and Aussie wines are a perfect pairing. You can find Greenhart Camberwell at 1226 Toorak Road, Camberwell. The wine bar and restaurant is open Tuesday–Thursday 4–10pm, Friday and Saturday 12–3pm and 4–10pm, and Sunday 4–10pm. For more information, head to the venue's website.
Melbourne's summer weather is in full swing, but the ice cream masters at Billy van Creamy are here to help you keep your cool no matter how high those temperatures soar. Not only have they opened the doors to a brand-new store on Sydney Road, but they're celebrating its launch by giving away a stack of free and cheap scoops this weekend. To score yourself some complimentary all-natural ice cream, simply swing past the new Brunswick digs this Friday, February 12, between 5pm and 7pm. If you miss out, you can still get your ice cream fix on the cheap, with $2 scoops up for grabs from 7–10pm. Plus, there'll be even more $2 scoops on offer from 12–10pm on Saturday, February 13, and again on Sunday, February 14. If you don't already know Billy van Creamy from its roving ice cream truck and events cart, or the OG Fitzroy North store, now's the perfect chance to get acquainted. All that's left to do is choose a flavour — will it be a core classic, or a special edition like vegan mocha with almond brittle, or salted mango swirl? Billy van Creamy is giving away free scoops from 5–7pm on Friday, February 12 and $2 scoops from 12–10pm on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14.
It's official. Soft serve is a thing. No longer stuck in the realm of 50 cent cones at McDonald's, soft serve has well and truly made it to the Melbourne mainstream with the likes of Tuck Shop Take Away pumping out inventive flavours like Redskin, Froot Loops and jam doughnut and the just-gone Pierre's summer pop-up at Green Park. And now, a soft serve international heavyweight is getting in on the game. Meet Milkcow, Korea's all-organic, all-natural soft serve ice cream chain. With 60 stores worldwide, Milkcow has landed in Melbourne for their first ever Australian pop-up. Instead of committing to permanent digs straight-up, it's popping up for just two months in Driver Lane at The Strand in the space that once belonged to Cacao Lab. Get down there anytime between now and May 31 to try a bunch of exotic flavours and epic add-ons. You might want to start with one of Milkcow's three signature creations: the Milky Way, which is pure, milky ice-cream, without any extras; Milky Honey, swirled with 100% organic honey; or Milky Cube, laced with honey swirl and honeycomb wedges. All of their soft serve is made with locally-sourced, organic milk, which is churned on-site every morning. For something a little more decadent, try the sweet-yet-salty Black Pearl, the tropical-inspired Santorini or the affogato-like Avalanche, which is topped with coffee beans, fairy floss and a double espresso. And these are just the tip of the ice cream berg. You can top your soft serve with anything from fairy floss clouds and macarons to caramel popcorn and a shot of espresso. Milkcow has worked with BrandWorks and props atelier Amanda May Lee to turn the pop-up into a visual adventure. Look out for giant paper soft serve cones and a living, breathing forest. What's more, Naked Truth Chocolates and the Sensory Lab are also on-site, serving up addictive confectionery and quality coffee. The Milkcow pop-up will run from Friday, April 1 until Tuesday, May 31 at Driver Lane, The Strand in the CBD. It's open from 11.30am until 10pm daily. For more info, visit milkcow.com.au.
American football fans have a heap of Melbourne sports bars to choose from when looking for a spot to watch the 2025 Superbowl, but we are all about Le Bon Ton's offerings. From 9.30am on Monday, February 10 (you might want to book this day off), the Collingwood diner is playing the game live and loud, plus running a bunch of food and bev deals. This will include a $65 (per person) grazing board packed with USA-inspired gameday bites like its chicken and waffles with hot honey and jalapeno mayo as well as a pit-smoked wing bucket. Those wanting to get on the beers in the morning cal also enjoy $8 budweiser stubbies or $20 buckets that come with four bottles. And whilethe game is playing throughout the day, the crew will also be giving away a bunch of Budweiser merch. It'll be a big morning full of football, food and bevs — as well as the opportunity to watch Kendrick Lamar's halftime show live.
This city is no stranger to the humble (and not so humble) doughnut. From Shortstop to Doughboys to the van at Queen Vic Market, Melburnians are spoiled for choice when it comes to deep-fried dough, be it glazed, iced, covered in cinnamon or bursting with piping hot jam. So, really, it makes perfect sense that our sweet, sweet obsession was last year taken to its only logical conclusion: a full-blown with all the doughnuts you can eat. And now — even though we thought maybe the doughnut mania was winding down — it's returning for a third round. Donut Fest will take over Albert Park's Gasworks on for eight hours on Saturday, March 10. Sugar fiends will be able to gorge themselves on freshly made doughnuts from a variety of local vendors, as well as a selection of boutique beers. Goldeluck's Bakeshop will be bringing in its croissant-doughnut creations from Croydon South, and there will be churros, Nutella-fulled balls, Italian bomboloni and even gluten-free options. There will be a few savoury options if you need a break from the sweet stuff. You don't have to buy a ticker, but organisers are encouraging punters to bring a gold coin donation along for charity Foodbank. If nothing else, it should help assuage the guilt you'll feel after eating yourself into a coma.
Think about Broken Hill and movies, and one of three films likely comes to mind. Mad Max 2 is one of them. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is another. Wake in Fright should be the third. Before road warriors and drag queens helped bring the outback city to the big screen, this stone-cold classic got there first. It was back in 1971 that the iconic Australian page-to-screen thriller turned the remote patch of New South Wales — well, the fictional Bundanyabba in the narrative — into a hotbed of small-town small-mindedness, toxic masculinity and a dim view of outsiders. If you've never thought that ochre soil as far as the eye can see could be a vision of claustrophobia, then you haven't seen this, which sits on Canadian director Ted Kotcheff's extremely diverse resume alongside everything from First Blood to Weekend at Bernies. Here's your next change to redress that: a Hear My Eyes session at the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival, where the movie-and-music series will give Wake in Fright a new soundtrack. For Hear My Eyes first-timers — so, those who've missed Hellraiser, Good Time, Pan's Labyrinth, Chopper, Two Hands, Drive, Girlhood and Suspiria sessions in the past, to name a few prior shows — the event brings a must-see flick back to the big screen accompanied by a live, all-new and completely original score that's played while film lovers sit, watch and listen. Doing the musical honours for Wake in Fright is Surprise Chef, who'll be playing to a freshly unveiled 4K restoration of the feature. Hitting up Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, August 16, the MIFF Hear My Eyes screening will mark the world-premiere of the 4K version of the film. Whether they pop up as part of festivals or on their own — and no matter the movie, too — these events are always popular, so getting tickets quickly is recommended. There's no word yet if other cities outside Melbourne will get the chance to see Wake in Fright receive the Hear My Eyes treatment, so this is a prime excuse to head to the Victorian capital. So far, before it drops its full 2024 lineup on Thursday, July 11, MIFF has also announced Adam Elliot's new stop-motion animation Memoir of a Snail, which'll open the fest, alongside 23 other flicks — including Sundance sensation I Saw the TV Glow from We're All Going to the World's Fair's Jane Schoenbrun, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)-starring thriller Cuckoo, the Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money)-led A Different Man and restaurant-set dramedy La Cocina featuring Rooney Mara (Women Talking), plus heaps more. [caption id="attachment_963205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963203" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Izzie Austin[/caption] Hear My Eyes' Wake in Fright screening with Surprise Chef will debut at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, August 16. Head to the Hear My Eyes website for tickets and further details. The 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 8–Sunday, August 25 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 16–Sunday, August 18 and Friday, August 23–Sunday, August 25 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 9–Sunday, August 25. For further details, including the full program from Thursday, July 11, visit the MIFF website.
Summer isn't even here yet, and 2023's Meredith Music Festival hasn't happened so far either, but it isn't too early to start thinking about autumn 2024. The reason? That's when the Aunty team unleashes its other big annual festival at the same Victorian spot, with Golden Plains just announcing its packed lineup. Music lovers, next year's pilgrimage to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre to dance among the autumn leaves will take place from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. So, mark those dates in your diaries ASAP. Then, go enter the ticket ballot, as the second round is up and running until 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 23. This Golden Plains will mark the fest's sweet 16th, and comes with The Streets, Yussef Dayes, King Stingray and Black Country, New Road leading the bill. So, that means one of the defining voices of 00s-era Britain in Mike Skinner, Dayes' drumming and jazz prowess, a Yolŋu surf‑rock favourite that Aunty has been trying to get on the lineup for ages and one helluva post-punk band — and that's just the first four acts. Joining the above is everyone from Cymande, Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul, Wednesday and Regurgitator to Boris, RVG, Kutcha Edwards and WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc). The list still goes on from there, too. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, Golden Plains has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. How does the Aunty crew describe 2024's fest? "Come as you fancy. Time and space to wibble. A soundtrack built for wobble. Autumnal autonomy. Two days and two nights at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, with controls set to premium mode," they advise. "The Sup' has been designed and refined over 30‑odd years for the sole purpose of hosting something truly remarkable. It's one of the best places on earth to spend a long weekend with friends and lovers — finding yourself, losing yourself and losing yourself again." GOLDEN PLAINS 2024 LINEUP: The Streets Yussef Dayes King Stingray Black Country, New Road Cymande Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Wednesday Regurgitator Boris RVG Kutcha Edwards WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) Braxe + Falcon MAVI Anz MJ Lenderman DJ Koco Sarah Mary Chadwick Elsy Wameyo Soju Gang Split System The Belair Lip Bombs Storytelling with Uncle Barry Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot's second round before 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 23. Images: Benjamin Fletcher / Theresa Harrison.
It might be a movie about a faux romance, but Anyone But You hasn't faked its setting. In the upcoming rom-com, which has a date with cinemas on Boxing Day, Sydney Sweeney (Reality) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) play a couple pretending that they're in love — but as most of the just-dropped full trailer shows, there's no shams about the Sydney location. When Sweeney was in Sydney at a Sydney Swans game earlier in 2023, it wasn't just because she was playing the Sydney version of Pokémon and catching them all. Rather, the Euphoria and The White Lotus star was filming this movie. And, from both the first teaser and the latest sneak peek, this film clearly falls into a specific category of Aussie-made flicks: pictures shot Down Under that can't stop reminding viewers that they were made Down Under (see also: fellow future release The Fall Guy, which will arrive in 2024). [caption id="attachment_926799" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney star in ANYONE BUT YOU.[/caption] Multiple shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House feature heavily amid the banter-heavy glimpses at Anyone But You's stars. In fact, the Opera House even shows up in the background as Bea and Ben are having a Titanic moment on a boat. Anyone But You's setup: Sweeney's Bea had a great first date with Powell's Ben; however, then everything turned sour. Now they're at the same destination wedding and pretence becomes their solution. Anyone But You is directed and co-written by Will Gluck, who has both Easy A and Friends with Benefits on his resume, then the vastly dissimilar Annie and the two Peter Rabbit movies. On-screen, as well as Sweeney, Powell and a whole lot of Sydney — the city — Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), GaTa (Dave), Dermot Mulroney (Secret Invasion), Bryan Brown (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Rachel Griffiths (Total Control) also feature. Check out the full trailer for Anyone But You below: Anyone But You opens in cinemas Down Under on December 26, 2023.
If you're looking for a quintessentially Melbourne experience, look no further than the Richmond Club Hotel. A grand old dame that's been serving up top-notch tucker and tasty tipples for over a century, this pub is an institution in its own right. But don't be fooled by the historic facade — inside you'll find a modern kit-out sprawled across three levels including a beer garden and rooftop bar. With a menu that blends old-school pub classics with modern Australian fare, it's the perfect spot to tuck into a juicy burger, crispy schnitty or succulent roast. And let's not forget about the beer — with a wide range of brews on offer including many from local and regional breweries. But if hops aren't your thing, don't worry — the bar also boasts an impressive wine list and a creative cocktail menu that's sure to please. And let's not forget about the atmosphere — with its warm, inviting interior and friendly staff, the Richmond Club Hotel is the perfect place to kick back and relax. Whether you're looking for a cosy spot for date night, a quiet drink after work, a comfortable place to watch the game or a lively venue for a night out with friends, this historic establishment has got you covered.
Each year, the National Gallery of Victoria commissions a new temporary structure to evoke a fresh perspective on the gallery. Previous years have seen a pink car wash and an openair maze pop up in the NGV's Grollo Equiset Garden, but 2018's Architecture Commission will be a direct reflection of the gallery itself. A collaborative effort between Melbourne firm Muir and landscape architecture studio Openwork. Doubleground draws inspiration from past and present aspects of NGV International. The design is centred on a dramatic maze-like passageway that recalls the triangular patterns found within the NGV's Great Hall glass feature wall and on the gallery's roof. Elements of the NGV Garden will literally be raised up as sections of the garden become sharp embankments, creating canyon-like passageways below. The Sir Roy Grounds-designed building also provided inspiration for Doublegrounds decking area, which echoes the NGV International's foyer, while a bamboo garden reflects the building's former bamboo courtyard. Architect Amy Muir used her memories of visiting the gallery as a child to compose a blueprint for the new commission. "The 2018 Architecture Commission provides an intervention that challenges the role of the NGV Garden," Muir said of her studio's designs. "Acknowledging the intent and architectural language of the original Roy Grounds building, the Commission seeks to bring the memories of place back into play." Promoting the positive relationship between architecture, landscape and civic space, Doubleground was chosen ahead of 73 other entries from around Australia due to its collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach. As 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the NGV International, gallery Director Tony Ellwood explained the new commission "offers visitors a unique opportunity to reflect upon and re-examine the history and design of the Gallery as an integral part of Melbourne's public realm". You'll be able to visit the commission between 10am and 5pm daily.
Celebrating Polish culture through dance, song, theatre, film, visual arts and literature, PolArt has been solidly running for 40 years. It’s been a little while since Melbourne hosted this extravaganza, as it is held every three years in different capital cities around Australia. PolArt consists of eight days packed with performances, exhibitions and cinematic offerings. It is the largest Polish Arts Festival outside of the country itself, making this quite the event worth celebrating. Polish music will be flowing out of Ruby’s Music Room for the duration of the festival, and for the first time ever, PolArt has included a Fringe Festival as part of their celebrations. Art exhibitions will be popping up everywhere from No Vacancy to the Victorian Artists' Society Gallery, exploring and celebrating their rich history and interconnectedness with Australia. Did we mention Magda Szubanski is an ambassador for the festival and that she’s presenting her memoir, Reckoning? Consider us locked in.
For a cracking Peninsula brunch matched with cracking Peninsula views, Pelikan Société is a tried-and-true favourite. The cafe boasts a sunny deck overlooking Hastings Bight and the marina, while the dining room's got floor-to-ceiling glass windows, putting you front and centre of the action, even when the weather's rainy. Here, a broad-ranging all-day menu has dishes to tempt the entire crew, plating up crafty takes on all the cafe classics. Items include shakshuka eggs — brought to life with nduja, smoked labneh and peppers — local mussels done with tom yum cream, and a banger of a Cuban sandwich, teaming smoked leg ham, pork belly, comte cheese and green chilli slaw. Coffee comes courtesy of international label Julius Meinl, and you'll find a tidy list of local brews and wine for those laidback afternoon sessions on the deck. Keep your eye out for some of the cafe's namesake feathered friends, enjoying their own breakfast in the shallows nearby.
When Australia has just thrown one of the world's biggest LGBTQIA+ parties, what comes next? Incorporating hits from 2023's Sydney WorldPride into 2024's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. For everyone who loved revelling on the sand at the fest's Bondi Beach Party, we come bearing excellent news: it'll be back next year for 15,000 attendees. Mardi Gras' full 2024 lineup spans 100-plus events across the Harbour City, taking place from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3. While 2023's iteration marked the 45th anniversary, don't go thinking that turning 46 isn't being taken just as seriously — all around the theme "our future". "For 45 years, the energy, vibrancy, and unity of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has made it a globally significant event. And each year, our commitment to bringing forth an even more fabulous celebration grows," said Sydney Mardi Gras CEO Gil Beckwith. "In 2024, we embrace our roots and look forward with eager anticipation to our future. Our mission is clear: to echo the voices of our communities, to champion progress and instigate impactful change." "Beyond the individual events, and there are many, the 2024 festival underscores our commitment to inclusivity, unity and remembrance. The 2024 festival celebrates our past, our present and most crucially, the promising future we're building. Here's to another unforgettable Sydney Mardi Gras," continued Beckwith. As well as the return of Bondi Beach Party, Mardi Gras will also give Sydney WorldPride's Ultra Violet a second run, celebrating LGBTQIA+ women in an event that takes place as day turns to night at the National Art School. Similarly huge: a one-night-only special performance of musical & Juliet, which will occur just days after the production arrives for its Sydney season. Also on the lineup: the Welcome to Country via citywide event Festival First Light; floating venue Glass Island hosting trans and gender-diverse celebration Hot Trans Summer; and Diamond Dance, which will mark Pollys Club's 60th year. Or, there's talks and ideas series Queer Futures, the Marks Park Dawn Sunrise Service of Reflection to honour 70s- and 90s-era victims of homophobic and transphobic violence, two-week fringe fest Oxtravaganza in Darlinghurst and the boozy Darlo Big Drag Brunch. Yes, the parade is back — so mark Saturday, March 2 in your diary and prepare for a big night with 200-plus floats on Oxford Street. Plus, Mardi Gras' premium parade viewing areas will feature again to help the hundreds of thousands of folks heading along get a prime view of the 12,000-plus marchers. Throw in the also-returning Mardi Gras Film Festival, Progress Pride Flag Raising, Fair Day, Paradiso Pool Party, Kaftana Pool Party, Laugh Out Proud and Sissy Ball — and Queer Art After Hours as well — and Sydney will be jam-packed with things to do and ways to celebrate, as it is during every Mardi Gras. Other highlights include a dance party at ivy Pool Club, SEA LIFE Aquarium hosting drag storytime and a queer formal, with more events still to be announced as Mardi Gras gets closer. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2024 will run from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3, 2024. For more information, or for tickets, head to the event's website. Select images: Jeffrey Feng Photography, Lexy Potts
It may not lay claim to the long, balmy evenings of summer, but winter's still got plenty up its sleeve when it comes to romance. And if you're looking for the perfect date destination to woo that special someone, we can assure you that cute, cosy options abound in Melbourne's inner south, even when the weather's frosty and the temperatures are low. Here, we've teamed up with the City of Port Phillip to assemble some of the area's top go-to winter date scenarios, ranging from a nostalgia-fuelled bottomless brunch to a private beachside bonfire set-up. Whether you're teeing up a first date, or organising the 300th, these options are sure to impress. Victoria is currently under stay at home orders so, while you can't visit these spots right now, you can start planning for when restrictions lift. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Victoria, as well as current restrictions, here. AMP UP THE ROMANCE WITH BUBBLY AND OYSTERS A warm, elegant space in the heart of Albert Park, boasting a top-notch selection of cheese and vino, The Victor Wine Room makes for a primo date night destination any time of the week. But it's really turning on the couple-friendly charms from 5.30pm every Thursday, when Date Night Thursdays kicks into gear. Setting the tone to your midweek rendezvous are live acoustic tunes to enjoy while tucking into the Skinny Dipping special — two glasses of Montaudon NV Reserve Champagne or rosé, paired with six oysters for $30, or a dozen of the ocean-fresh morsels for $40. GET COSY IN THIS FIRESIDE GLAMPING TENT Camping by the beach might sound like a scenario best suited to summer, but Republica has given the concept a cosy, winter-friendly spin. The beachside St Kilda bar has unveiled a pop-up glamping tent nestled in its courtyard overlooking the Bay. Kitted out with plush furnishings and warmed by a roaring campfire, it's available to book for groups of four to six, perfect for a cute double (or triple) date situation. Walk-ins are available if it's just you and your boo. Open daily from noon until late, it's a toasty, private hideaway where you can kick back in comfort as you devour house-made mulled wine and apple crumble. [caption id="attachment_821141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Jewish Museum of Australia, Sarah Walker[/caption] EXPLORE ST KILDA THROUGH THE EYES OF A LOCAL LEGEND St Kilda held a special place in the heart of iconic French-Australian artist Mirka Mora — she lived and worked there for many years, opened the (now-closed) Tolarno Bistro with husband Georges in 1967 and went on to create numerous works that would also call the suburb home. These days, you can experience St Kilda through Mora's own eyes while digging deeper into her lasting legacy, on a self-guided art-filled walking tour. Download the mobile-friendly 'Mirka's St Kilda' map, don your coats and set out to explore. You'll catch landmarks like the Tolarno Hotel (which has a number of her works on display), the Mirka's Children's Mural, the St Kilda Pier Mosaic she created in 1993 and the restaurant site where she penned much of her autobiography. Want more of Mora? Check out the Mirka retrospective exhibition, currently showing at The Jewish Museum of Australia. INDULGE IN A BOOZY BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH WITH YOUR BOO Get a little nostalgic as you bond over the good ol' days of your youth at the Newmarket Hotel's newly launched old-school-themed brunch. Featuring sittings from 12pm every Saturday and Sunday, this one's a tasty blast from the past, soundtracked by hit tunes plucked from the 90s and early 00s. While you're grooving to those bangers and swapping stories from the past, you'll find yourself sipping bottomless bubbly, beer, mimosas and seltzers, matched with your pick of brunch dish for $60. Now, will it be the fried chicken burger, a breakfast salad or the avo smash with roast mushrooms? SIGN UP FOR A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION Had a rough day at the office? Don't take it out on your favourite person — channel the full fury of your crazy customers and looming deadlines into a bladed weapon headed straight toward the bullseye target. Yep, whether you're meeting for the first time or you're longtime lovers, date night needn't be all candlelit dinners and making googly eyes at each other. Amp up the fun factor with a visit to Lumber Punks, South Melbourne's axe-throwing joint. Sessions start at just $45 per person for 90 minutes, after which time you should be ready to hit up one of the nearby bars or restaurants — Patient Wolf Distilling Co, Meatworks Co and Bells Hotel are all within walking distance. ENJOY SUNDOWNERS AFTER A BEACHSIDE STROLL The best way to stay warm on a wintry date is to keep moving — and by that, of course, we mean conquering one of the city's walking tracks (or did we...). Tackling the Foreshore Trail is a task best completed without the full force of the summer sun belting down on you anyway. Starting at Perc White Reserve in Port Melbourne, this 11-kilometre bayside trail will see you winding past Lagoon Pier, Catani Gardens, St Kilda Marina and over Elwood Canal before arriving at Elwood Beach. Celebrate your trek at Elwood Bathers. Perch at one of the outdoor tables and split a bottle of vino and a charcuterie board with your bestie as the sun sets over Port Phillip Bay. For more inspiration for how to spend a wintry day in Melbourne's inner south, head to the City of Port Phillip website. Top image: Republica
There'll be no need to grab snacks before the latest screen-to-stage musical production. As fans of the '90s cult classic well and truly know, Empire Records is certain to give you a sugar high anyway. The beloved flick is heading to Broadway, which means someone is going to be following in Renée Zellweger's footsteps and belting out the Coyote Shivers track 'Sugar High' while standing on a record store rooftop. Expect someone else to sing "oh Rexy, you're so sexy" too, as the tale of a struggling music shop, its motley crew of employees and the washed-up former star making an in-store appearance makes the leap to another format. Rolling Stone is reporting that the movie's original screenwriter, Carol Heikkinen, is adapting her own script, with the show working towards a 2020 premiere date. No word yet who'll be taking on the characters first played by Zellweger, Liv Tyler, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Aussie actor Anthony LaPaglia, rocking out to what's certain to be an ace '90s soundtrack and wearing some top retro fashions. Empire Records joins a long list of films making the jump to the theatre of late, including La La Land, The Devil Wears Prada, Amelie and Moulin Rouge! And, of course, the newest production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is heading to Australia in 2019. Via Rolling Stone.
If you're the type of traveller — or staycationer — who chooses their hotels for the perks and extra inclusions, then you'll be particularly excited about the latest addition to Melbourne's accommodation offerings. Originally slated to launch in May, Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer has now opened its doors, marking the Swiss brand's second site in Australia, after Mövenpick Hotel Hobart. And if either the chain's name or its country of origin have you thinking of sweet treats, yes; they're very much part of the hotel's menu. For starters, Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne is celebrating chocolate hour every afternoon, from 3.30–4.30pm. That's when guests can tuck into complimentary desserts ranging from mini ice cream cones, to chocolate petit fours, to ice cream sandwiches. You can even dial up the indulgence factor with a few chocolate cocktails or the signature chocolate ice cream parfait. Mövenpick's hotels all serve the brand's line of food and beverages as well, which means that Mövenpick ice cream is also available. Also onsite, you'll find the dedicated Mövenpick Cafe, along with newly opened modern Asian restaurant Miss Mi, which is plating up a bold, vibrant menu by Head Chef Esca Khoo (Dinner by Heston, Longrain, Lûmé). The 172-room hotel will sate your appetite for style, too, its elegantly appointed suites boasting premium linens, photography works from the likes of Steve Scalone and Sean Mcdonald, and contemporary bathrooms complete with rain showers and Yuni Beauty products. And those wanting to work off any overindulgences can hit the hotel's dedicated recreation floor, home to a 25-metre swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and gym. Housed within the new 78-storey Premier Tower development on Spencer Street, Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne is one of more than 80 of the brand's accommodation sites worldwide. Find Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer at 160 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Head to the Accor website for bookings and other information.
It has taken almost four decades to summon a Beetlejuice sequel; however, if a third film was to follow in the poltergeist bio-exorcist franchise, the initial two flicks have already told us what it should be called. First came 1988's Beetlejuice. Next arrives this year's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. So, only Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will do if the Juice gets loose again sometime in the future. For now, cinemagoers have simply Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to look forward to. Calls for this followup have been echoing since the 80s, with the sequel finally locked in in 2023, then dropping its first teaser earlier in 2024 and now unveiling its full trailer. And saying its eponymous figure's name three times is a part of this sneak peek, as Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder, Stranger Things) warns her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega, Miller's Girl) against doing. Of course, that advice isn't followed, and so in pops Michael Keaton (The Flash). In the first film, the ghost with the most turned life into chaos for the Deetz family — and for his big-screen return 36 years later, with the movie releasing in September, he has more mayhem to unleash. This time, for another dance with the trickster demon, there's three generations of Deetz women in Winter River. Schitt's Creek's great Catherine O'Hara (Argylle) is also back as matriarch Delia. Filmmaker Tim Burton also sits in the director's chair again, on what marks his first feature since 2019's Dumbo. He's no stranger to revisiting to his past work, as seen when he made two Batman movies in the late 80s and 90s, and when he adapted his short Frankenweenie into a full-length flick. He also loves collaborating with the same talent again and again, such as bringing in his Wednesday star Ortega. You don't need a Handbook for the Recently Deceased in your ghostly hands to get excited about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but you might spend time with folks with one, which is what happened with the original flick's Barbara and Adam Maitland (GLOW's Geena Davis and Dr Death's Alec Baldwin). In that movie, viewers also saw what happened when that pair started to suspect that they're no longer alive, a new family moved into their house and they decided they needed a bio-exorcist. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Keaton, Ryder, O'Hara and Ortega are joined by Justin Theroux (White House Plumbers), Monica Bellucci (Mafia Mamma), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), all newcomers to the franchise. Behind the lens, Burton is working with a screenplay by Wednesday's Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Seth Grahame-Smith (The Lego Batman Movie) coming up with the story by Gough. If you say "Beetlejuice" three times, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won't arrive in cinemas quicker — but it is hitting the silver screen before the musical version of the first film finally makes its way Down Under in 2025. Check out the full trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice below: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice images: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Suddenly, it's not enough to enjoy craft beer, locally-made sourdough and bespoke flavoured oils anymore — now it's all the rage to actually make them yourself too. How do you do that, you ask? Enter The Craft & Co. on Smith Street. They can help you out. The Craft & Co. vision is to teach through demonstration. They're a retail and hospitality space that hosts in-store demonstrations and workshops to help you understand how your food is made — and maybe even give it a crack yourself. It's big space that incorporates an onsite micro-brewery and distillery, cured meat and cheese making rooms and coffee roastery, as well as a retail store, bar and eatery. And they're also hoping to develop their own farm and vineyard. Talk about ambitious. The plan is to hold workshops, demonstrations and events — so if you ever wanted to try your hand at making your own mozzarella, curing your own salami or whipping up some home-brew, this is your place. And if you simply can't be bothered with DIY, you can just always just EIY (eat it yourself). The lunch and dinner menu is stellar and — best of all — won't break the bank, which is a necessary consideration in this post-Christmas world we now live in. The menu is a mixture of tapas-style nibbles and meaty, filling mains, but the breakfast menu really has us intrigued. A zucchini and mint omelette, wagyu minute steak and chips (for breakfast?!) and the cacao pops — activated buckwheat, cacao and coconut served with milk — are just experimental enough that we'll happily concede to The Craft & Co.'s expertise in this department.
Harry Potter marathons, concerts, parties, trivia, sleepovers, markets, comedy gigs, Christmas festivities, potions classes and plays: of both the authorised and unauthorised type, Australia has hosted all of the above. If there's a way to work the Wizarding World into something, it has likely popped up somewhere Down Under. Indeed, a Fantastic Beasts-inspired natural history exhibition is on its way in 2023 — and, if you're particularly entranced about dressing up like you're at Hogwarts, so is Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration. Again, Australia is no stranger to Harry Potter shindigs, but this one is both official and completely themed around the franchise's wintertime soirée. Fittingly, it's conjuring up its Aussie debut in the frosty months, locking in a date with Sydney from Friday, July 7. The celebration heads to the Harbour City after past tours to Milan, Montreal, Houston and Mexico City, and hails from Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and events company Fever. Warner Bros in general is going all-in on the magical saga of late, given that it has also just locked in a new Harry Potter TV show, which will turn each of the books that started it all into a season of television. First, the ball. Here, you'll feel like you've stepped straight into the Wizarding World movies, especially if you don appropriate attire. That isn't mandatory, but it is encouraged. And if you need to collect the right items while you're at the event, there'll even be a market selling wands, robes and other merchandise. In Sydney, the Yule Ball will take over the Paddington Town Hall — and while exactly how long it will keep enchanting Sydneysiders hasn't been revealed, it will feature multiple sessions from Wednesday–Sunday. Muggles and wannabe witches and wizards alike will enjoy a two-hour experience, complete with a dance floor, performers, recreated moments from the movies and a whole heap of excuses to take photos. There'll be themed food and both boozy and non-alcoholic drinks, too — cross your fingers for butterbeer — which you'll need to pay extra for on top of the $84 ticket price. Or, there will be premium package, where you'll receive priority entry, a beverage and a gift. So far, there's zero word about further Aussie stops beyond Sydney, but folks in Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond best start crossing their fingers, toes, wands and broomsticks. Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration hits Australia from Friday, July 7, 2023, with tickets on sale from Wednesday, May 3 — head to the event website to join the waitlist.
Sitting down to watch Cat Person isn't a passive experience. It isn't an interactive movie, but the bulk of the film's audience isn't coming to it as a blank slate. They've read Kristen Roupenian's viral New Yorker short story from 2017, because everyone has. They've seen the discourse that it started, and potentially engaged in the debate that's swelled ever since, too. They remember how the 7000-word piece arrived at the ideal #MeToo moment, capturing the intricacies of modern dating, gender power dynamics, text-first communications, and mediating not just our lives but our loves through screens one jokey SMS and flirty emoji at a time. As a feature, Cat Person isn't just about bringing the tale of 20-year-old college student Margot and 33-year-old Robert, who she first meets serving him snacks at her cinema job, to the screen, then. Six years have passed since Roupenian's story became the only thing that anyone was talking about, especially online, with the whole Cat Person phenomenon now about more than just the tale itself. In her third movie as a director after 2014's Life Partners and 2018's The Spy Who Dumped Me — and also helming episodes of Utopia, The Flight Attendant and The Wilds, plus writing Booksmart as well — that's also what filmmaker Susanna Fogel set out to capture with Michelle Ashford's (Masters of Sex, The Mayfair Witches) script. "There's always a fear with anything that people feel strongly about, and would get really passionate about, that you're going to let them down. I think that with this in particular, I had to release myself a bit from the notion that everyone is going to love this adaptation — because the truth is not everybody loved the story, and not everyone loves any movie, really," Fogel explains to Concrete Playground. "I also have to take my best shot of trying to bring this story into the next generation for a group of people who many of whom were too young to read the story. The Margots of today were 13 when the story came out, so this is a moment that I wanted to share the story with them in this format." "But there's always a fear of it. You of have to let it go. You have to say 'I'm going to do my best to honour the material, and if I can create the feeling that I got reading the story in an audience, then that's what I can do'," Fogel continues. "There are going to be details that aren't what people pictured. Some people are going to want it to be a faithful adaptation of the story because they just want to see that story the same way. And Michelle and I, and ultimately Kristen, really believed that there's another chapter to the story that's happened culturally since 2017 — people exhausted themselves debating the merits of this story and revealed things about themselves culturally — that became part of the story. So to us, the only reason to adapt it was to build upon the narrative and not just render it directly." The film version of Cat Person expands beyond the narrative that Roupenian relayed with such galvanising precision. The aim: capturing how it felt to read the short story, as well as the conversation swirling around it since. The focus is still "concession-stand girl" Margot (Emilia Jones, CODA) and customer Robert (Nicholas Braun, Succession). Everything from their first meeting to their texts, and also their age gap, dates and rampant awkwardness, remains. But Fogel's film not only adds details, but also complexities and perspectives, seeing the tale's ambiguity and clashing perceptions. The 2023 Sundance Film Festival first witnessed the end result, and now audiences in Australia and New Zealand can as well, with the movie opening in both countries Down Under in November. We chatted with Fogel about the process of bringing Cat Person to the screen — her first reactions to the short story, her thoughts on the response, the unique opportunity that is turning a viral short story into a movie, casting and continuing the Cat Person conversation all included. ON READING CAT PERSON WHEN KRISTEN ROUPENIAN'S SHORT STORY FIRST ARRIVED "I did see it. I was hard to not see. It was everywhere. It was something that people talked about a lot. It was very explosive in the culture. At the same time, I didn't see it as a movie. It's hard for me not to see things as movies just because I live in LA, and whenever something is viral or captures anybody's attention, there's going to be a stampede of people trying to make it into a film. But this one, I thought this is so brilliantly internal that I don't really know how it becomes cinematic, and how it becomes external, and how you capture what really resonated for people in a film — much less a film that people are going to see if they're men or people of all ages, which the story did have a bigger reach than just than just women. I was concerned that a film wouldn't be able to harness that somehow. And then two years later, I read Michelle Ashford's script. I realised that there was a there was a vision behind doing that that made so much sense to me — I just would never have thought of it myself." ON THE INITIAL RESPONSE TO CAT PERSON AS A SHORT STORY "The story itself, by the time I came to it, I was aware that it was very explosive and controversial. And when I read it, I wasn't sure why, because I thought that this is such a perfectly observed short story. It's so specific to this woman's experience. Why are people debating it? Why are people accusing the writer of man-hating? What is what is really like triggering to people about the story? And over time, that narrative around it became so explosive that it kind of hijacked the narrative — the narrative around the narrative became what was the most interesting thing about it. There's this undercurrent of male rage that courses through the subtext of the story, and that male rage was manifested in a very overt way among all of the people on Twitter who were arguing about the story. So, in a weird way, it kind of proved the concept of the story itself, and that to me was what was so interesting. And when we tried to expand upon the original format of the story, that anger and the male perspective on that was something that we tried to enhance and show cinematically, just because it was so much a part of that cultural moment. It eclipsed anything about the original story itself." ON BRINGING A SHORT STORY THAT'S GONE VIRAL TO THE SCREEN "It was a very unusual opportunity. I've always looked for ways to tell stories about women — granular, observant, emotionally driven, relationship-driven movies and TV shows. That's kind of my sweet spot. But it's so often that those feel small, and they always have to be combined with another genre or a mystery or something that feels like it gives them reason to be — stories that justify their telling, in a way. This one, obviously we did expand it genre-wise, but the fact that the story existed and was viral was a great opportunity to tell a really intimate, granular story about a woman's experience, and have a little bit of name recognition buoying the release of it, and the public interest in it. That was a really lucky — that was a real opportunity. There's name recognition and a curiosity about something that is ultimately so personal and would normally just go in the bucket of tiny movies that five women see at a women's film festival." ON TACKLING A TALE THAT'S STRUCK SUCH A CHORD FOR BEING SO RELATABLE "A different medium is always a challenge. When you take a short story that women project their experiences onto — so women are picturing themselves as Margot, women are picturing their own Robert from their own life as Robert, they're not picturing actors that I cast — trying to honour that and execute something that would resonate with women the same way as whatever was in their mind's eye when they read the story is a tall order. I just did my best to try to pick versions of both characters that made them human enough that whatever felt really realistic and grounded to women would would be manifested here, and it wouldn't feel like we took it in this crazy direction. It definitely escalates at the end, but from a starting point of relatability was the goal. I mean, that's always the challenge, I think. But I think from moment to moment, [it was] just making sure those performances felt grounded, making sure to cast somebody who felt really relatable to women, and felt smart and substantial — so that if she makes some dumb mistakes, you can still be rooting for her instead of dismissing her as a victim. And just making choices that I think try to keep threading the needle with nuance was something that was important to me, so that people couldn't really dismiss either side, or come down on one extreme side or another — just to try to maintain the ambiguity of the original story." ON THE VISION FOR CAT PERSON AS A FILM FROM SCRIPT ONWARDS "Michelle had this brilliant idea to take a lot of what Margot was going through internally and make it manifest in a really extreme multi-genre experience of being a young woman. So, Margo's experience is that she walks through her life, and she's very pop culture savvy. She's seen movies where young women are victimised. She's seen movies where young women fall in love. She's seen movies where young women come of age. So she's seen all the reference points, and she's trying to figure out where she belongs and what her story is. What excited me about Michele's adaptation was really that she opened the door to explore a lot of different genres, as if to say that being a young woman is a multi-genre experience. There's always a base level of fear, because we're when we're coming of age and even when we're not, we're aware that we could be overpowered on a physical level. That's always a fear that sits underneath our lives, and is ready to poke its head out at any point in time that it's triggered. But all of the things that Michelle wrote were so vivid. And then the fears and fantasies and violence felt like I just tried to capture those as viscerally as I've experienced them myself, in the hopes that other women have also had those fears if I've had them, I hope. I don't hope other women have had them, but I hope that I'm a good ambassador to tell their story in a way that feels relatable to as many women as possible." ON FINDING THE RIGHT MARGOT AND ROBERT "Casting is always easy and hard. What's easy is if you're the filmmaker and you have a sense of who those people are in your mind, there's actors that you know you want. The challenge is that they're not always the actors who you know are the most famous or the most bankable. Luckily we worked with StudioCanal, who were pretty open minded being a European company — they weren't as algorithm-obsessed and so they let me cast these two actors who were really on the cusp of fame and had recognition but weren't overexposed on a level where people would bring too much baggage into the viewing experience. By the time the movie came out, people have an association with Cat Person. They're expecting to be mad. They're expecting to be relating. They're just expecting a lot going in. And I didn't want that to have a toxic alchemy with some outrage about me casting the wrong super-famous person. So I wanted it to be a little bit like these characters, these are interesting actors, maybe you've seen them but you haven't seen them in everything. You don't know who they're dating. It's not a situation where you're rolling your eyes before you even walk into the theatre. Emilia has a real soulfulness and gravitas to her that I wanted Margot to have despite her youth, so that it wouldn't be just a simple story of a young woman and an older man, and she's naive and he's inappropriate. I wanted it to be a bit more [that] he has some arrested development, but also she is presenting herself with as much maturity as she can, and she has a presence that doesn't feel adolescent to him. Zooming out, it's inappropriate that he pursues her. But zooming into it, it sort of makes sense that she's presenting herself in a way that it would be overreaching past the bounds of her experience level or her actual maturity level. Emilia seems mature, and I thought that was important to keep Robert defensible as well. If she seemed really flighty and really young, it would be more egregiously only about her being young and not about the fact that they do have this connection, even though it's dysfunctional. I didn't audition either of them, but I spoke to them, and they get it. They got it. They understood what was weird about the dynamic, and they were so intellectually able to do it — and I knew how talented they were on screen, that I just kind of took the leap of faith that they could do it. They're both actors who have great comic timing, but they're not broadly comedic. They have an interesting presence, but they haven't done this role before. So it felt like they would really like invest in that challenge. And in Nick's case, he has like a base level of likeability, especially to other men who watch Succession, that I thought that would be a good place for Robert to start — a place where men are relating to him, even if they think he's kind of a loser or whatever, they're inclined to root for him because of because of who he is." ON FOGEL'S HOPES FOR THE MOVIE'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAT PERSON CONVERSATION "I would like for this movie to invite men and women to talk about their own experiences, and the differences in perception that go into relationships. I think that everybody has a story where they relate to one or both of the characters — that's why my hope is that everyone who's ever been on a date can watch that movie and say 'oh, I've been him' or 'I've been her' or 'I've been both'. To me, I think that the movie challenges people to think about their own relationships and be more authentic with the other person, however they can be — and really give themselves permission to not know what they want, take a minute to figure out what they want, not be sure what they want, change their mind. Those are all really important parts of dating and consent, and I'm hoping that this movie, by making people feel like they're not alone, makes people feel like 'it's okay for me to figure this out on my own timeline'." Cat Person opened in cinemas in Australia on November 23 and in New Zealand on November 2. Read our review.
Since its debut in 2022, Always Live has quickly become a loud and proud voice for sharing everything great about contemporary music and highlighting outstanding venues from Geelong to Gippsland and Ballarat to Bendigo. The stage is set for a 2024 return, with a huge range of artists set to hit venues all over Victoria from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8. Leading the program is the Australian debut of genre-defying performer and artist Anyma, who's fresh off a record-sold-out six-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. Accordingly, the largest screen in the southern hemisphere will be set up for the show at Flemington Racecourse. [caption id="attachment_969884" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Other headline acts include Californian punk rock group The Offspring, who are bringing their famous punk energy to the stage for a one-night-only show. Tina Arena will perform at Mornington Racecourse in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her breakout album Don't Ask. Meanwhile, Victorian-based singer Missy Higgins will conclude her national tour with a show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. A massive LGBTQIA+ party is kicking off in Port Melbourne, headlined by Irish artist Roísín Murphy alongside a set of global and local artists alike. Rockers St Vincent will hit two classic venues: Palais Theatre in St Kilda and Her Majesty's Theatre in Ballarat before returning to Melbourne for 'An Intimate Audience with St Vincent'. This one-of-a-kind show is a half-concert, half-dining experience and takes place in The Aviary, Crown Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_969882" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Simon Fazio[/caption] The program truly goes on and on and on, with shows from Chet Faker, Jack White, Baker Boy, The Rions and many, many more. You'd best start preparing a plan to hit as many shows as possible. Always Live 2024 runs from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8, at venues across Victoria. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Some people unwind through meditation, others work it out at the gym. But if you're looking for something to shake things up, turn to The Break Room. It provides one of the most unique experiences in Melbourne, and lets you take out your stress on crockery, and not the people you love. To put it simply, you're put in a room and given a helmet, a bat and the opportunity to break whatever you want. Sure, you could do this in your own home, but imagine the clean-up. No thanks. A session at The Break Room may be just what you need at the end of a frantic week.
Australia's most inclusive music festival hits Birrarung Marr for its next instalment on Saturday, March 25 — and the jam-packed lineup of artists it's bringing with it is an absolute cracker. Leading the talent at Ability Fest 2023 are Aussie hip hop legends Hilltop Hoods, dance duo Mashd N Kutcher and ARIA Award-winning songstress Sampa the Great, along with names like Paris, Meg Mac, DZ Deathrays, Linda Marigliano and dameeeela. Unfolding across two stages, the program has something for all kinds of music fiends — with SHOUSE, Telenova, Juno Mamba, Mulalo and Latifa Tee just some of the other artists who'll be heading along. [caption id="attachment_893575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jayden Ostwald[/caption] The brainchild of 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and Untitled Group (the crew behind Pitch Music & Arts and Beyond the Valley), Ability Fest is carefully designed to be completely accessible and as inclusive as they come. It'll feature ramps and pathways for easy access, Auslan interpreters working alongside the artists, and elevated platforms to give everyone a shot at seeing the stage. Plus: quiet zones, a dedicated sensory area, ticketing for companions and accessible toilets. During its life, the not-for-profit fest has raised close to $500,000 for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, while continuing to dish up primo live tunes and music experiences to Aussies of all abilities.
Get a head start on festive season relaxation, as Hope St Radio hosts the Christmas Wine Market. Taking over the Collingwood Yards courtyard from 1–4pm on Saturday, November 29, visitors will encounter a hopefully warm and sunny afternoon of good wine, good food and holiday cheer. Conceived as a free community event, this is your chance to indulge in numerous complimentary tastings from many of Australia's most exciting independent winemakers. Bringing together a selection of respected names from Gippsland and Geelong to the Limestone Coast, the likes of Eleven Sons, Fin, Gum, Passage, Stefani, Trutta and Yayoi are providing the sips. With wines poured by the glass and available by the bottle to take home, should you find your ideal drop, this market might just double as some early Christmas shopping. To complement the vino, resident food makers Stefanino Panino and Dua Bakehouse will serve up a collection of Christmas-inspired creations. Then, bringing another seasonal touch to the afternoon, Curio Practice will present handmade Czech Christmas decorations. Perfect for those seeking a unique gift or seasonal ornaments that rise above their tired tinsel, these modern-day heirlooms are designed for those who care about where things come from.
Winter is coming, and that means a few important things are on their way. Firstly, and most obviously, Game of Thrones is starting to get pretty epic. We're definitely getting accustomed to staying in with a bottle of red and forgoing nights out in favour of some medieval carnage. But secondly, our ski slopes are hitting their prime. The time for snow gear is fast approaching and Concrete Playground is here to get you sorted. If our nights in are complemented by a bottle of red, our time on the slopes is inevitably coupled with three beverages: hot chocolate, mulled wine and warm cider. Fittingly, the latter is getting involved with the physical activities. Rekorderlig — the Swedish champions behind this apple and cinnamon bliss — have made you a custom snowboard this season, and we have one to give away. This special creation, which ordinarily retails for $330.50, is in a traditional shape with a rounded nose and tail. It offers traditional and zero camber options, extended carbon pop rods, a wood core, and a wide-centred stance that works for riders of all sizes and abilities. We know winter can be a bit of a drag, but this is your best bet to make the most of it — outside of boozy TV marathons that is. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
It's been a long time between drinks — 40 years to be exact — but the Yarra Valley could soon see the return of its chugging steam trains, with plans for a scenic railway to be built through the region. The Andrews Labor Government yesterday promised it would help bring the project to life if re-elected, and with local residents, community groups and businesses having already raised $2.74 million in funding, this is a railway that we might actually see come to fruition. The 14-kilometre Yarra Valley Railway would run between Yarra Glen and Healesville, with historic steam trains stopping at wineries, restored railway stations and even a local museum. Cyclists would also be able to hop on and off at certain points, too, with the railway connecting to popular bike route, the Yarra Valley Rail Trail. The first stage of the build is already nearing completion thanks to that huge community support and funding, as well as the state government's including 17.5 kilometres of steel track pulled up during its series of level crossing removal projects. Finished elements include hefty restoration works at Yarra Glen and Tarrawarra Railway Stations, 16 new and revamped rail bridges and nine fresh kilometres of track. If the government gets on board and throws in the final $3.75 million of funding, the next stage of the project will see the railway track run from Healesville to Tarrawarra Estate upgraded, and the historic Healesville Railway Station precinct given a complete overhaul. At the moment, trains run between Healesville Station and Tarrawarra Estate on the Walker Railmotor. The trains, which run hourly from 10am–4pm every Sunday, are operated by the volunteer-run, not-for-profit Yarra Valley Railway. The organisation has 500 volunteers that have been fundraising and working to restore the Yarra Glen-to-Healesville train. With the government's $3.75 million of extra funding, the completed project would see 600-passenger steam trains run regularly between Yarra Glen and Healesville, with an expected 250,000 punters riding each year. Image: Bellarine Rail, Visit Victoria.
You can pop along to the zoo any day, but seeing a wild thing in its native habitat is far more exciting — although, it's admittedly slightly trickier. While spiders and mozzies don't have too much trouble making themselves known, our cuter, fuzzier, more loveable creatures are shy, shy, shy. Whether you want to lunch with a 'roo, catch penguins on parade, swim with a whale shark or spot a platypus, there are plenty of places around this big ol' country of ours that will help make that dream you've been harbouring since your mum read you Blinky Bill come true. Just remember, you're heading into their territory — you can look (and make awwwing noises), but don't touch. Or feed them. Or do any shitty stuff. Basically, let them do their thing and enjoy being a quiet observer in the presence of 100% adorable animals. If you can do that, here's where to find them. FOR KANGAROOS: PEBBLY BEACH, MURRAMARANG NATIONAL PARK, NSW Finding a kangaroo in the wild isn't difficult. In fact, far too many of the unsuspecting, headlight-blinded creatures hang out on country roadsides. But if you want to meet a particularly friendly bunch, head for Murramarang National Park's Pebbly Beach, near Batemans Bay, about four hours' drive south of Sydney. But be warned: they might well expect to share your lunch. FOR LITTLE PENGUINS: SUMMERLAND BEACH, PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC Come sunset every evening, Victoria's little penguins waddle along Phillip Island's Summerland Beach to rest after a hard day's fishing at sea. These tiny guys are the smallest type of penguin on the planet. To prevent disturbance, viewing is organised by Phillip Island Nature Parks. You can jump on a platform, opt for a skybox or take a ranger-led eco explorer tour. [caption id="attachment_553183" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr[/caption] FOR KOALAS: KENNETT RIVER ON THE OTWAY COAST, GREAT OCEAN ROAD, VIC There's only somewhere between 43,000 and 100,000 koalas left in the wild in Australia, so they're not easy to spot. But one place where you're pretty much guaranteed to find them is along the Otway Coast section of Victoria's Great Ocean Road. Your best bet is to pull over in Kennett River, 174 kilometres west of Melbourne, and take the Kennett River Koala Walk, starting on Grey River Road. [caption id="attachment_552453" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Didier B via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR AUSTRALIAN SEA LIONS: SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK, KANGAROO ISLAND, SA Due to widespread hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Australian sea lion is one of the world's rarest seals. Thankfully, the surviving population is now protected in a few places, including Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay Conservation Park. Sheltered bays and beaches provide plenty of spots for seals to rest — in between fishing and teaching babies to swim. You can get amongst it with self-guided tour or one with a tour guide. [caption id="attachment_552418" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jolene Faber via Flickr[/caption] FOR QUOKKAS: ROTTNEST ISLAND, WA European invasion didn't do much for the poor old quokka, whose mainland population has suffered over the past couple of centuries. But, on Rottnest Island just off the coast of Perth, it's a different story. Thanks to a distinct lack of predators and loads of food, the cat-sized marsupial is thriving, with latest counts at 12,000 or so. However, you can't feed them, as it tends to poison them — and if you see anyone behaving like these jerks, let someone know. [caption id="attachment_552450" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Martin Pot via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR NUMBATS: TONE-PERUP NATURE RESERVE, PEMBERTON, WA In the 1980s, Australia's numbat population reached a near-extinction low of 300. The only places where they'd managed to survive were two reserves in south-west Western Australia: Tone-Perup and Dryandra Woodland. Today, they have been re-introduced to a few more sanctuaries around the country and their numbers have slightly increased — but to see them in their natural habitat, you'll need to go to one or the other. Understandably, numbats aren't particularly extroverted, so be prepared to wait. Give yourself more time with an overnight stay — there are a few accommodation options in the reserve. FOR WHALE SHARKS: NINGALOO REEF, WA Between April and July, hundreds of whale sharks head to Ningaloo — Western Australia's answer to the Great Barrier Reef — to feed their 18-metre long bodies on generous plankton feasts. Despite their mammoth size and disconcerting name, they're gentle creatures and you can swim alongside them without fearing for life or limb. It's not a free-for-all though — the human to whale shark ratio is generally limited to 10:1 and travelling with a tour group is mandatory. Every May, Exmouth hosts its annual Whale Shark Festival. [caption id="attachment_552409" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manuel Heinrich via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR TURTLES: HERON ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QLD In November every year, two of the world's most vulnerable turtle species — green turtles and loggerheads — head to the Great Barrier Reef's Heron Island to nest. If you're staying nearby, all you have to do is wander down to the beach to see them. That said, the folks on Heron Island are fiercely protective of their precious guests, so strict guidelines apply to turtle watching. Keep your distance and don't flash lights in the sweet little critters' eyes — it confuses them. FOR PLATYPUSES: BROKEN RIVER, EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK, QLD After numbats, the platypus is the hardest animal on this list to find. You need to patient, quiet, still and willing to hang around at either dawn or dusk. To make your mission easier, try your luck at Broken River, in Queensland's Eungella National Park. Right near the picnic ground, you'll find a platypus-dedicated viewing platform. FOR CROCODILES: MARY RIVER, NEAR KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NT You won't catch any sane person swimming in Mary River — two hours' drive east of Darwin — as there are more saltwater crocodiles here per square metre than there are anywhere else on Earth. (Salties, by the way, are the killers — the freshies aren't so bad.) The good news is, you can watch them from a safe distance by taking a boat ride. Top image: Craig Siczak via Flickr.
In the midst of Melbourne's COVID-19 second wave last year, two high-density public housing estates in North Melbourne and Flemington were sent into an abrupt hard lockdown in a bid to contain the outbreak. The government-imposed restrictions were considered so harsh they made headlines across the world and were eventually found to have breached human rights laws by the Victorian Ombudsman. Now, over a year on, residents of the nine towers have united to develop their own community-led cookbook — drawing on their own rich and varied culinary traditions. Available to download for free, Cooking, Recovery and Connections has been created with help from not-for-profit community health organisation Cohealth and is packed full of treasured recipes from all corners of the globe. The book is designed to celebrate resilience, reinvigorate community connections and give back some of the autonomy that residents lost during the lockdowns, via the simple but universally-cherished act of sharing food. It features 18 recipes, interspersed with illustrations and stories, all contributed by public housing residents with roots from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, India and Somalia. You can learn how to whip up Jameia Mohamed's lentil fatteh, try making a batch of homemade falafel courtesy of Aisha Suliman's recipe, or impress your mates by mastering Sara Zakaria's Sudanese baklava. [caption id="attachment_822608" align="alignnone" width="1920"] An example of the Egyptian dish koshari, Omar Elsharawi,via Unsplash[/caption] Najat Abdullah, a resident and co-developer of the cookbook, called the experience of being involved with the project "empowering and joyful", saying: "I feel so proud because the project was ours from the very beginning. We came up with the idea as a group and we saw it through all the way to the launch." "I loved learning about the different cultures behind the recipes. I've cooked every single recipe in the book!," Abdullah says. "The stories that come with each have been a really special way to learn more about the people that we live side-by-side with. It's helped to break down barriers and started conversations." The cookbook is free to download here, but if you'd like to give back to the community, organisers encourage you to do so by donating to SisterWorks, with funds going to support the organisation's training programs. Awatif Taha's Sudanese Lamb Kofta Meatballs in Curry Sauce Ingredients: Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil 1 white onion, thinly sliced 500g lean lamb mince 1 brown onion, coarsely grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/3 cup (25g) fresh white breadcrumbs ¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped 1/3 cup (100g) korma curry paste 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 400g can chopped tomatoes 400ml coconut milk 1 cinnamon quill Method: In a bowl whisk lemon juice with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sliced onion and set aside. Place mince, grated onion, garlic, zest, breadcrumbs and herbs in a bowl. Season and mix to combine. Rinse your hands under cold water and, without drying them, use your hands to share the mixture into 16 small balls. Place a deep non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and when hot, add the meatballs and fry, stirring for one minute. Stir in tomato, coconut milk and cinnamon until combined. Season and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Return meatballs to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes or until cooked through and the sauce is reduced. Add the cucumber to the white onion mixture, mix to combine and season. Find and download Cooking, Recovery and Connections via the website. Top image: Public housing residents who collaborated on the Cooking, Recovery and Connections cookbook, captured by John Tadigiri, Street Studio.
UPDATE, May 16, 2021: You Were Never Really Here is available to stream via Shudder, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Never has a beard felt as important as it does in You Were Never Really Here. Mottled with grey and sporting the texture of steel wool, it's visibly abrasive. It looks scratchy to touch, and as though its coarse mess would grate against the skin underneath. That skin belongs to Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), though he's troubled by more than his choice of facial hair. In fact, the desolation in his eyes and the menacing heft of his frame suggest that his shield of bristles is thoroughly by design. An assassin who rescues young girls from sex trafficking rings — and who's haunted by his own childhood abuse, as well as his past as a soldier and FBI agent — he coats his chin with a wiry nest partly as armour, partly in order to feel something. The fourth film by directorLynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here inspires intricate dissections of every element within its frames — and every aspect of its brooding protagonist, too. Charting Joe's latest assignment, it's ostensibly a crime thriller, but it's really a character study of a despairing man. As the filmmaker demonstrated in We Need to Talk About Kevin, her movies relay their narratives with a minimalistic but expressionist touch. They plunge viewers into their protagonist's headspace with distorted flourishes, yet offer up only what they need to. You Were Never Really Here achieves this with jarring flashes of Joe's memories, with shots that box people in using their surroundings, and with a ragged, raging score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. It also does the same just by staring at Joe, and letting audiences soak up his broken yet brutal presence. First seen finishing a job in Cincinnati (and trying to finish himself as well), Joe is a man of few modes. Usually he's ruthless and task-oriented, whether arranging his next hit, buying the hammer he'll wield or deploying his deadly skills. When he's at his Queens home with his elderly mother (Judith Roberts), he's kind and caring, a tenor he reserves only for that situation. In-between, he's fighting a war inside — one that he can temporarily put at bay by saving exploited children or by playfully singing with his mum, but can never completely win. The suicide attempts continue, fuelled by emptiness and isolation, although something holds him back. Then Joe is enlisted to rescue Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), the pre-teen daughter of a New York senator (Alex Manette), and his world goes astray. Early in the piece, Joe takes a cab from a job, but this isn't merely an updated Taxi Driver. He speaks little and swings a hammer, but the film isn't a riff on Drive. He even watches Psycho with his mother — and recreates its infamous screeching noise and stabbing motion outside of his bathroom — but that's not where this is heading either. As boilerplate as You Were Never Really Here might sound with its tormented protagonist, avenging storyline and penchant for violence, this isn't a picture that walks in anyone's shoes other than Ramsay's own. The writer-director has long delved into the lingering echoes of trauma, not only in the dense and complex Kevin but in her earlier efforts Ratcatcher and Morvern Caller too. If other flicks spring to viewers' minds when watching You Were Never Really Here, that's purely because Ramsay has only made four features in two decades — and, criminally, her last came out seven years ago. While it's a distinctively immersive Ramsay creation, You Were Never Really Here isn't a film that's big on plot. The novella it's based on numbers less than 100 pages, after all. But if Joe's tale is concise in the hands of author Jonathan Ames (Bored to Death), then it's positively stripped bare on the screen in the bleakest, tensest yet also most rewarding way. There's freedom in such an economical approach — the freedom to build an entire world around Joe's festering pain, to show why he'd rather just disappear, and to explore how the agony he can't shake shapes his entire reality. Indeed, You Were Never Really Here is disarmingly effective in conveying how post traumatic stress disorder burrows into the deepest recesses of someone's mind, controls their every move, and casts an enormous shadow over everything that they see and hear. And, of course, why it might spark them to lurk both at the edges of society and behind a scruffy beard. Playing Joe, Phoenix won the Cannes Film Festival's best actor prize for more than just his appearance. His is a powerfully wounded performance, a portrayal that wears the character's internal distress as openly as the scars that cover his back and arms. Phoenix boasts a resume filled with damaged figures, be they vicious in Gladiator or sweet in Her, and he's the ideal actor for Ramsay's intense and exacting film. Smashing skulls, cradling bodies in a stream, slurping milkshakes — no matter what he's doing, he's as gripping and galvanising as he's ever been. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQyDaGWQ43w
Queen Victoria Market's Purpose Precinct has done things differently since it launched in 2022. Operating as a social enterprise marketplace filled with over 80 products designed to create social, environmental and cultural good, one part of this forward-thinking marketplace is the Moving Feast Kitchen — a space that explores what food justice and sustainability look like in practice. It's been announced that Australian chef, author and food advocate Tobie Puttock is moving into the kitchen as the new Innovation Chef, bringing his enduring passion for sustainable food systems. Best known for his long-standing collaboration with Jamie Oliver, where he helped establish training restaurants for underprivileged young people, Puttock's ambitious approach to zero-waste cooking and food education is central to his purpose-driven goals. Back home in Melbourne, Puttock's pairing with Moving Feast Kitchen is certainly a harmonious fit. "Food has the power to bring people together, to nourish, and to create lasting change. The Moving Feast model – circular, inclusive, community-driven — is exactly the kind of space where I want to cook, teach and collaborate," says Puttock. Launched by leading social enterprise STREAT at the start of the pandemic, Moving Feast's network of food-based social enterprises collaborates on fair and regenerative system projects. Though it was initially founded in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis, the operation has since expanded to over 30 one-off and multi-year projects, including the Purpose Precinct and Crowd Sauce — a series of pantry ingredients made from surplus produce. Now with Puttock at the helm, Moving Feast Kitchen will step up its program of cooking classes, events and zero-waste retail food products. "We're expanding our commitment to innovation and community impact at Queen Victoria Market, and the work happening through the Purpose Precinct is central to this," says Matt Elliott, CEO of Queen Victoria Market. "The addition of Tobie will build on the incredible work by the STREAT team already underway on site." In tackling issues like food waste and food injustice, Moving Feast aims to address numerous climate and social challenges. From within the Purpose Precinct, it operates more as a science lab than a traditional kitchen, giving innovative changemakers like Puttock the space to rethink our relationship with the food supply chain to make a tangible impact. However, the pantry's range of long-shelf life products made from overripe and unsold produce also makes for a nourishing bite. Moving Feast Kitchen is open at QVM's Purpose Precinct on Tuesdays and Thursday–Saturday from 9am–3pm. Head to the website for more information.
"Alright, when's the murder-mystery start?" That's a line in the first teaser trailer for Knives Out sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and it sums up what we're all thinking. If you loved the 2019 OG movie, then you've been hanging out to spend more time with Daniel Craig as Blanc, Benoit Blanc. Get ready to do that a little earlier, and on the big screen. The first of two Netflix followups to that hit flick arrives this year — to stream on Friday, December 23, in fact — but it's also going to score a cinema run. The streaming platform tends to take that approach in the latter half of the year, when its slate is filled with movies that've premiered on the international film festival circuit, feature a heap of big-name talent, hail from impressive boxes or all three. Glass Onion ticks all of those boxes. In this case, however, you'll be able to get sleuthing in a cinema between Wednesday, November 23–Tuesday, November 29 — a month before the movie heads to streaming. And, you'll want to get in quick, as it's only showing for that one week. After that, you're back to waiting for an early Christmas gift. This time around, Edward Norton (The French Dispatch), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Leslie Odom Jr (The Many Saints of Newark), Jessica Henwick (The Gray Man), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Music) and Dave Bautista (Thor: Love and Thunder) all join Craig, and the action moves to Europe. If you saw the original — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how it works from there. There's a lavish setting, that aforementioned big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. Glass Onion takes place on a Greek island, but also sends its various players on a cruise — and yes, thinking about Agatha Christie, including this year's Death on the Nile, is a natural reaction. "Lock the doors. Stay in your rooms. Everyone is in danger," Blanc advises in the sneak peek, because all of that goes with the territory as well. Is the culprit Bautista's Duke Cody on the yacht? Hudson's Birdie Jay in the games room? Hahn's Claire Debella by the pool? You'll have to watch to find out. Just like its predecessor, Glass Onion is both written and directed by Rian Johnson, with the filmmaker moving onto the franchise after 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi — and still indulging his love of on-screen puzzles, as shone through in Brick and Looper as well. Check out the first trailer for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery below: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will hit Australian and New Zealand cinemas from Wednesday, November 23–Tuesday, November 29, then become available to stream via Netflix from Friday, December 23. Images: John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
There's a lot to love about regional Victoria. It has hidden gems in every corner of the state, from rugged coastlines to small towns with charming pubs serving up some good ol' grub and everything in between. Up in Victoria's High Country, known for its mountains, rich gold-mining history and ski resorts, is one lesser-known spot that's well worthy of a weekend trip — the historic wine region of Rutherglen. With over 20 wineries (many of them award-winning), plenty of restaurants and cafes, incredible produce and endless countryside, there's no better place for your next getaway. And, thanks to some up-and-coming new-generation makers and producers, there's some innovative stuff happening here that you won't find elsewhere. It may be a small community — the town has a population of around 2100 — but there's no shortage of activities to do, food to eat and, of course, wine to drink. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. Some of the places mentioned below may be operating differently due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check the relevant websites before making any plans. [caption id="attachment_773167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jones Winery, Visit Victoria[/caption] A FINE (WINE) LEGACY The Rutherglen region is steeped in winemaking glory, dating back to the 19th century when Queen Victoria was in charge and the country was swept up in a gold rush. You can see its tannin-soaked heritage at some of Victoria's oldest vineyards and taste it in the quality of the area's crisp, cool-climate whites, robust reds and world-famous fortified wines. Head to Campbells of Rutherglen, which was established in 1870, for a spot of riesling or a limited-release fiano, then to All Saints Estate Winery (established in 1864) for an aromatic shiraz. Meanwhile, you can indulge in some rustic French fare alongside your tipple at Jones Winery, which dates back to 1860 — or enjoy a nip of muscat at one of the oldest vineyards on the block, Morris Wines, which was founded in 1859. Oh, and don't forget to take a snap at the town's locally adored Big Wine Bottle — it's actually the local water tower and holds up to 72,000 gallons. Ah, if only you could turn water into wine. [caption id="attachment_723444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morris Wines[/caption] NEW AND INNOVATIVE WINEMAKERS CHANGING THE GAME Along with the heirloom winemakers in the region, there are plenty of newer vineyards making their mark, too. Head to the newest member to the region, Valhalla Wines. It's an environmentally sustainable vineyard, so you can feel good about sampling a glass (or two) of its chardonnay or tempranillo. Also, pop over to Scion for a handcrafted, small-batch drop of durif (a rare red French grape variety). Or, you can head back to Morris Wines — while the vineyard may be the region's oldest, it is also one of the more innovative and is known for its contemporary styles of topaque (the lighter, finer cousin of muscat) and apera, which is a sherry-style aperitif. [caption id="attachment_722871" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thousand Pound[/caption] TOP-NOTCH RESTAURANTS AND BARS Not only will Rutherglen quench your thirst for high-quality vino but it'll line your stomach for it, too. A bunch of the region's restaurants and bars serve dishes that'll rival anything you'd find in the city — using locally sourced and seasonal produce, of course. In an old farmhouse overlooking a century-old vineyard is Ripe at Buller Wines. Here, you'll find dishes inspired by Buller's world-famous fortified wines — and prepared with produce from the vineyard's market garden. For a feed on the fancy side, head to the hatted fine diner overlooking the vines of All Saints Estate, Terrace Restaurant. The restaurant, led by Simon Arkless, is a prime example of farm-to-table eating — everything from the meat, eggs and vegetables are grown on the estate, and all organic waste is fed back to the animals or used as compost on the vines. If you're after more low-key vibes, stop in at the slickest spot in town, Thousand Pound wine bar. This cosy spot wouldn't look out of place in a hip Melbourne suburb (that is, apart from the much more affordable prices). The bar enlisted Simon Arkless for this menu, too, which is served alongside a solid wine list celebrating family-owned estates. Meanwhile, The Pickled Sisters Cafe, which you can find at Cofield Wines cellar door, is a must-visit for brunch or lunch. Or, you can turn your meal into a roaming feast with The Pickled Sister's Seasonal Food Foray. For $85 per person, you'll get a luxe picnic hamper filled with four dishes. Each meal is designed to be paired with a glass of wine from one of the participating wineries on your wine hop — Cofield Wines, Pfeiffer Wines, Stanton & Killeen and Andrew Buller Wines. Plus, it wouldn't be a trip out of the big smoke without a country-made pie from Parker Pies. [caption id="attachment_662421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pedal to Produce[/caption] WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK FROM WINE TASTING If you think you'll need to break up the wine tastings, turn your cellar door tour into a cycling expedition with Pedal to Produce. The self-guided route is just 12.5 kilometres in total and will take you to some of the region's best cellar doors — with some pretty picturesque sights and pit stops along the way. Another way to take a breather is by gazing at some art — the Aboriginal Exhibitions Gallery, based at De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate, is a good place to start. But, when you simply can't sip another drop of wine (if that's possible), Rutherglen has plenty to whet your cultural appetite. You can head to the Murray River for a spot of fishing or visit an olive estate while you're here: you have Gooramadda Olives and Wicked Virgin to choose between. Plus, if you're lucky to be in the area on the second Sunday of the month, enjoy the Rutherglen Farmers Market and pick up some local produce to take back with you. COOL SPOTS TO BUNKER DOWN FOR THE NIGHT After a long day of enjoying the treasures of the region and with your bellies full of wine, you'll need a cosy place to rest. Luckily, Rutherglen's got plenty of unique places for you to lay your happy head on a comfy pillow. You can sleep among the vines at Grapevine Glamping and enjoy camping without all the fuss at Cofield Wines. If medieval feels are more your vibe, you can sleep in an actual castle (yep) at Mount Ophir Estate with seriously luxe furnishings, or hit the hay in a rustic-chic cabin on a lake at Moodemere Lake House. Alternatively, book a room at the boutique art deco hotel and day spa, Circa 1936, and treat yourself to a pampering after a long day of wine tasting. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: All Saints Estate.
Whistler is most famous for the mountains that surround the village, Whistler and Blackcomb, and in turn the eponymous ski resort that just so happens to be the biggest in North America. But there's much more than ski runs to explore. To begin, the scenery is jaw-dropping in every direction, and you can take it all in from way above or by getting in the thick of it. Soar over all the snow, trees and idyllic scenes via helicopter or gondola, or get up close on foot, along lakeside cross-country ski trails. And when you're looking to relax after a day of exploring, you can kick back in Scandinavian-inspired hot pools or friendly boutique hotels laden with private baths, day spas and mountain views. Meanwhile, the food and drink scene is all about local produce, independent brewers and, thanks to the cold climate, comfort — think delicious bakery treats, melted cheeses, handmade pastas and tasty ales. The trick is avoiding the tourist traps and making tracks for the locals' favourites. Luckily, we've done some research for you, and with a little help from Tourism Whistler, have developed a full guide to doing Whistler like a local. [caption id="attachment_632302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @PurebreadWhis.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK When there's some serious, snowy adventuring ahead, it's important to start the day right: with a massive, hearty breakfast. Make your first stop Elements, where you can choose from seven different benedicts (including one with crab meat) or one of the most decadent French toasts we've ever heard of, stuffed with honey ham and double-cream brie. If your cholesterol levels are threatening a heart attack though, then head to The Green Moustache for a just as delicious brekkie, like their superfood-charged, all-organic Buddha bowl with quinoa, veg, sprouts and avocado. And if you're on the move or in need of a warming snack with your coffee, look to one of Whistler's best bakeries, Purebread, for their buckwheat sour cherry scones. [caption id="attachment_632434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook/Bar Oso.[/caption] When the midday stomach rubbles start up, set your sights on Ingrid's Village Cafe. The delicatessen has been nourishing Whistler locals and visitors for over 20 years, serving up burgers, salads, sandwiches and a daily selection of soups. And come evening, after a day out and about, the most satisfying way to refuel is with a bowl of house-made pasta and a good Italian wine at Pasta Lupino. Otherwise, it's Bar Oso for excellent tapas, including wild chilli-garlic prawns, scallop crudo and hearty fresh and cured charcuterie boards. Plus, Bar Oso has an extensive cocktail menu, with a whole section dedicated to gin and tonics using gins from around British Columbia. Finally, it'd be plain rude to visit Whistler without finding out what the local brewers have been up to. Swing by Coast Mountain to sample the signature IPA and Whistler Brewing, where, in case you're feeling homesick, you can sip an Aussie Sparkling Ale. [caption id="attachment_632417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.[/caption] DO It goes without saying that most holidays in Whistler involve a bunch of skiing, boarding, snow shoeing and dog sledding in nearby mountains. But, there are plenty of less obvious escapades to be had in and around town. To get some perspective, take a helicopter tour. You'll soar over the region's famous peaks, valleys and rivers, and fly scarily close to a glacier. You can even book into a tour that'll take you on an exploration of ice caves, ending with a dip in some natural hot springs. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7DJBGk2U8[/embed] Another ethereal experience is the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. Instead of taking the Whistler Village Gondola up to then ski back down with everyone else, head up and stay at the summit to take in the views and enjoy the idyllic, snowy surrounds from a journey on the PEAK 2 PEAK. As you ride over the Fitzsimmons Valley, you'll get a full view of the snowy dreamscape below from this extraordinary feat of engineering. Linking Whistler and Blackcomb summits, the PEAK 2 PEAK holds three world records: longest continuous lift system, highest lift of its kind (436 metres above the ground) and longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind (3.024 kilometres). If you prefer to see some spectacular scenery with your feet firmly planted on the ground, a snowshoeing journey around the lesser known sights for Whistler will have you feeling like a local. Transporting you to a time before Whistler existed, Parkhurst sits on the banks of Green Lake, where it started life as a logging town in the 1920s, but was emptied out by the time the '60s came around. [caption id="attachment_629882" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @katstjames.[/caption] As you wander through, you'll come across derelict cabins splashed with street art-style paintings, collapsed houses, rusty cars and a mammoth-sized tractor that looks like it froze mid-use decades ago. Snowshoe to Parkhurst from Whistler Village along the Sea-to-Sky Trail to discover the eerie, abandoned town. And to keep up the adventure, you can hoof it to Rainbow Park, Cheakamus River and the Train Wreck, featuring box cars from a 1956 wreckage that have become works of art among the trees. [caption id="attachment_632415" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova.[/caption] Meanwhile in town, there's the Audain Art Museum. Opened in March 2016, the understated building made of local materials holds a huge collection of British Columbian art, beginning with works by First Peoples and culminating in those of contemporary artists. Architect John Patkau designed the building to feel like a part of the surrounding spruce forest. "The feeling is that the museum will be quietly inserted into a void within the forest," he says. And within you'll find an exhibition program that changes three times a year, as well as 200 permanent works depicting the history of art from coastal British Columbia. [caption id="attachment_632422" align="alignnone" width="1922"] Nita Lake Lodge.[/caption] STAY There's only one stay in Whistler right on the waterfront, and that's Nita Lake Lodge, 500 metres from Whistler Mountain and the Creekside Gondola. If you choose this lakeside retreat during your time in Whistler, you'll be snoozing in a mega-sized villa on a king-sized bed, relaxing your tired muscles in a private hot tub and hanging out in front of your very own gas fireplace. There's also an onsite day spa, yoga studio and an outdoor plunge pool by the lake. The best news of all? Your dog is welcome with open paws. [caption id="attachment_630995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Summit Lodge.[/caption] Another boutique hotel to check out is Summit Lodge, smack bang in the middle of Whistler Village. Another pet-friendly stay — in fact there are two Rottweilers among the staff members — the wintry lodge holds rooms varying from deluxe studios to one-bedroom suites. All come with kitchenettes, hot tubs and bright design features, including walls covered in colourful geometric shapes, hand-knitted toys and art works. There's also an outdoor pool, hot tub, cedar sauna and an onsite day spa. [caption id="attachment_632419" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whistler Platinum.[/caption] Another option outside of the boutique hotel is, of course, to hire your own chalet — preferably with a few mates as a lot of these places can hold ten or more people. There are many lovely accommodations to find on Whistler Platinum. Go for rustic with the warm and cosy log-walled Horstman 4590, which comes with sleeping room for ten across five bedrooms, plus awesome panoramas. And if you're keen to wake up, strap on your skis and hit the slopes immediately, book into Kadenwood 2939. Located in one of Whistler's swishest on-snow villages, this accom has its own forest-encircled hot tub, as well as five ensuite bedrooms, a log fireplace, massive windows looking onto the mountains, a pool table and floor heating. Plan an adventure into the great Canadian outdoors, and discover all Whistler as to offer here. Top image: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be sipping beers by the beach to make the most of January's hot afternoons and long balmy nights — you can enjoy it right here in the city. In bars. With friends, drinks and some better-than-average bar food. Maybe you want to perch on a roof terrace, or you desperately need some air-conditioning. Whatever you want, you've got it. These brand new bars are the best places to embrace and escape the heat this summer.
For those more into chocolate than coffee, Christmas has come early, with Ratio Cocoa Roasters last week opening the doors to its new Sydney Road chocolate store and cafe. A luxe new addition to Melbourne's food scene, Ratio is the brainchild of Debbie Makin, whose international travels sparked a serious passion for all things chocolate and inspired the creation of bean-to-bar chocolate company celebrating single origin beans from around the world. Step through the door of the Brunswick store and you'll discover a chocolate-filled paradise, where quality and authenticity is the name of the game. Here, Makin and her team of chocolatiers are scouting out the world's finest single origin cocoa beans and using only traditional chocolate making techniques to handcraft individually flavoured artisan chocolate bars. Beans are hand-sorted, roasted in an antique ball roaster, cracked and then de-husked, leaving that little nugget of gold you'd recognise as the cocoa nib. They're then blended with Aussie whole milk powder and organic Peruvian cocoa butter to create Ratio's milk chocolate range, and with organic raw Brazilian cane sugar to make the dark chocolate. Don't be surprised if the end result is worlds away from other stuff you've tried. "Unfortunately not many people know the true taste of chocolate because everything is so heavily processed and added to," Makin explains. "We are here to show chocolate in its authentic and most delicious form." From January, as well as eating the finished product, visitors will be able to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Ratio's factory. Ratio Cocoa Roasters is now open at 186, Sydney Road, Brunswick. For more info, visit ratiococoa.com.au. Images: Alex Drewniak.
Giving Australians the Shake Shack experience we can't otherwise have because Shake Shack somehow doesn't operate on our shores yet, Betty's Burgers isn't short on reasons for burg lovers to stop by. And, it's also known for serving up quite the range of specials, including lobster rolls, prawn rolls and steak sandos. But if you want to try its latest creation — and, given that it's a truffle cheeseburger, you will — you'll also need to book a flight. In a first for both Betty's and Virgin Australia, the two brands have teamed up to add burgs to the latter's airport lounge menus in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. That means that pre-flight burgers can now be a part of your departure routine — as long as you have access to Virgin's airport lounges, that is. There are a few other caveats involved, too. Those truffle cheeseburgers are only available at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airport lounges, and so is the chain's new take on popcorn chicken, if that prompts you to pay for membership. Also, you'll need to be flying on a Thursday or Friday, and at around dinnertime, as that's when the Betty's menu items will be available. Still, if you have a trip in your future and you love burgs, this'll set your stomach a-rumbling. It's the latest step in Betty's efforts to spread its burgers far and wide, after initially setting up shop in Noosa, first expanding to the Gold Coast, and then setting up shop in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. For more information about Betty's Burgers and its new Classic Plant burg, head to the chain's website.
Victoria's Labour Day long weekend kicks off soon; and long-running festival Moomba is here to fill it to the brim with a jam-packed offering of entertainment, music, dancing, carnival rides, water sports and flying machines. Moomba's 2022 edition runs from Friday, March 11–Monday, March 14, gracing Alexandra Gardens, St Kilda Road and Birrarung Marr. Music-lovers can look forward to live tunes from acts like MzRizk, Squid Nebula, The Mamas and Horns of Leroy, or hit one of the silent disco sessions. Elsewhere, you can get your own groove on at a dance workshop, with the experts helping you perfect those hip hop, Bollywood or TikTok moves. Meanwhile, a program of water sport showcases will descend on the Yarra River, as the world's top water ski and wakeboard athletes put on some unmissable performances. On Sunday, March 13, the ever hilarious Birdman Rally sees competitors take giant leaps of faith from the banks of the Yarra in their homemade flying contraptions, raising money for charity while providing spectators plenty of laughs. And, helping to wrap up the festivities on Monday, March 14, is the long-running Moomba Parade, which will roll through Kings Domain with a colourful riot of dancers, tunes and supersized floats. [caption id="attachment_845154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Birdman Rally[/caption]
The story of the stunning Queen & Collins building runs deep into Melbourne's history. It started in the economic boom of the late 19th century, becoming a bustling gothic bank in no time at all. Almost 150 years later, it's evolved into a dynamic workplace and thriving dining hub. To celebrate this new phase of life, Queen & Collins is offering one lucky winner the chance to win a $400 dining experience at one of the precinct's many venues. What are your options? You can start your day with a visit to Rustica. Having opened in early 2022, this outpost of the legendary bakery brings brekkie to go with locally roasted coffee or supreme brunch, and lunch feeds to CBD workers until 4pm, Monday to Friday. For something more sophisticated, you can hit fine French eatery Reine & La Rue (which opened in August to massive acclaim) for a luxe experience or head underground to the basement bar Purple Pit (by Maurice Terzini of Icebergs) for a unique take on after-work drinks. A recent addition is A25 Pizzeria — sister to the famous South Yarra venue — dishing out beloved plates of pizza and handmade pasta. Then, in early 2024, the viral KOI Dessert Bar will open in the precinct for an extra sweet treat to finish. To find a full-on meal at any of the above venues, fill out the form below. [competition]931503[/competition]
Each summer, the Aunty team unleashes the Meredith Music Festival, with 2023's fest on its way in December with Kraftwerk, Caroline Polachek, Alvvays, Alex G and more. Each autumn, it's Golden Plains time at the same Victorian spot — and while the lineup isn't here yet, the ballot for tickets has just opened. Music lovers, 2024's pilgrimage to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre to dance among the autumn leaves will take place from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. So, mark those dates in your diaries ASAP. Then, go enter the just-launched ticket ballot right this second. This round of Golden Plains will mark the fest's sweet 16th — and if you're wondering what's in store, the Aunty team has provided an evocative description, as usual. "A sublime time in the greatest of outdoors. All singing, all dancing, all afloat in the primordial Sup'. Come as you fancy," the team advised. "Still waters run deep. Enhancement over advancement. Same size, same shape with no commercial sponsors, free range camping, BYO, the No D‑‑‑head Policy, and One Stage Fits All The Golden Treasures," the Aunty gang continued. The online ballot for Golden Plains 2024 will remain open until 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 16, which means that clicking ASAP is recommended. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, the fest has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. And, like Meredith Music Festival, its sibling, Golden Plains is also known for the Aunty crew's star-studded bills. There's no signs of that lineup just yet, but watch this space — in past years, including in 2023 when Bikini Kill, Carly Rae Jepsen, Soul II Soul and Four Tet led the bill, it has been announced in October. Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday, March 9–Monday, March 11, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 10.16pm AEDT on Monday, October 16. Images: Benjamin Fletcher / Suzanne Phoenix / Theresa Harrison / Steve Benn.
It's a familiar problem: your lounge room corner or kitchen windowsill is screaming for a bit of greenery, but finding time to shop for a fiddle leaf fig or a monstera is easier said than done. That's where plant delivery services come in, whether you're after something new each month or a one-off parcel of nature's goodness. And, in the latter camp, Australia has a new site ready to send a baby rubber plant, bird of paradise or peace lily to your door. That'd be The Plant People, a Brisbane-based nursery that takes care of the whole process, including seeding, growing, potting and delivery. At the company's base in Burpengary, green babies are nurtured by propagators and horticulturalists, then sent to eager customers — not only in Brissy or on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, but throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. Greenery-wise, The Plant People specialises in low-maintenance plants that can be grown indoors and arrive room-ready, with its range spanning familiar names and more creative types. You can nab a birds nest fern, Swiss cheese plant or string of pearls, or perhaps a philodendron, string of dolphins, Chinese money plant or manda succulent. The collection will continue to grow, following the latest trends and adding new varieties. The Plant People also sells pots, which are made by an artisan in Vietnam, as well as handy accessories such as garden scissors and moisture meters. Prices range from $14.95–$395 — and, no matter where you're getting your plant delivered to in its custom-designed box, shipping is free. The Plant People delivers to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. For further details, visit the company's website.
For a man who has dressed Bono in giant, clawed boots; heads the fashion department of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and once reserved the front row of his show for his extensive toy collection, Walter Van Beirendonck was surprisingly understated as he introduced his fantastical exhibition, Dream the World Awake. Dressed in jeans and a suit jacket with a pair of fluoro Nikes and a single teardrop pearl earring (obviously), Van Beirendonck was notably gracious despite the slew of fashion journalists frothing at the mouth at the incredible edit of his 30-year career surrounding us. After a brief explanation of the layout and structure, Walter turned to one of the technical staff, asking, “Now, can we pump up the music?” and reality was left at the door. Installed within RMIT's spectacular new Design Hub, the building’s inaugural exhibition Dream the World Awake is undoubtedly one of the best fashion exhibitions that Melbourne has had the pleasure of hosting. Originally curated and shown in Antwerp’s MoMu Fashion Museum, Van Beirendonck’s creations are not of this world, belonging to a psychedelic, alternate universe where gender is fluid, colour is law and humour is religion. Wandering through the exhibition is like taking a tour through the interior workings of Van Beirendonck’s mind. A towering, 8-metre-high wall plastered with images and objects of inspiration faces a tiered, rotating display of over 70 pieces, spanning from his grad collection to present. The adjacent space features mesmerising video works of innovative fashion shows (including a particularly amusing video featuring dozens of W< clad male models line dancing) and linking the two rooms is a multi-level display of Walter’s large collection of toys and figurines. It’s the best theme park you ever went to, combined with the weirdest dream you’ve ever had. Undoubtedly, an exhibition of this calibre and conceptual prowess is an incredible feat for RMIT, Melbourne, and even the Australian fashion industry. But putting aside the fact Van Beirendonck is one of the world’s greatest avant-garde designers, or that this is the first time the exhibition has shown outside of Antwerp, perhaps what the most important part of Dream the World Awake is its ability to inspire and excite anybody who passes through it. Through his art and creative practice, Walter Van Beirendonck reminds us that the fashion needn’t be so serious or inaccessible in order to be revered. The exhibition is an invitation to exit what is perhaps a conditioned state of mind, melting boundaries of convention and saturating viewers with a flood of inspiration. Now, can we pump up the music?
In not one but two seasons of Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne has tried to solve mysteries. As the Netflix show's sweet birthday baby, she's stalked around various time loops, periods and cities endeavouring to work out why she's reliving the same night over and over again — or how and why she can head into the past. Of course, one show featuring the Orange Is the New Black star getting sleuthing is all well and good, including over multiple seasons; however, two is even better. Yes, there's a feeling of déjà vu about Poker Face — but, as the just-dropped first trailer for the new ten-part series demonstrates, that happens in the best possible way. Solving mysteries is 100-percent the focus here, with Lyonne playing Charlie Cale, who works her way through resolving a series of crimes while she's on the road in a Plymouth Barracuda. Cale has an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying, a skill that's going to come in handy as she encounters a hefty roster of other familiar faces. Adrien Brody (See How They Run), Chloë Sevigny (The Girl From Plainville), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Pinocchio) and Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley) are all set to pop up in Poker Face, too, as also seen in the initial teaser — and that's just the beginning of the show's stacked guest cast. American audiences will be able to stream the end result via Peacock in the US in late January 2023. Release details Down Under, including when and where Australian and New Zealand viewers will be able to see the new series, are still to be revealed. Whenever it does pop up Down Under, Poker Face also boasts another talent well-acquainted with mysteries: filmmaker Rian Johnson. The series joins his resume straight after Knives Out and its upcoming sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, because clearly he can't get enough on-screen puzzles in his life — like the rest of us. Johnson also helmed Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, as well as a few episodes of Breaking Bad. Check out the trailer for Poker Face below: Poker Face will release in the US on January 26, 2023 — we'll update you regarding Down Under release details when they're announced.
When Australian wine festival Pinot Palooza does the rounds each year, it's heaven for fans of the type of vino that's in its name. When dairy fest Mould pops up, cheese dreams are indeed made of this. The two initially ran as separate events, but that's been changing in some Australian cities in recent years. In 2025, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth are on that list, getting the Mould x Pinot Palooza experience. It's a wine fest. It's a cheese fest, too. It's a celebration of an iconic pairing, clearly. Brisbane is hosting the first festival of the year, across three days in May at the RNA Showgrounds. Then, come winter, Melbourne gets a two-day stint in July at the Royal Exhibition Building, before it's Perth's turn for three days at Claremont Showgrounds in August. On the vino side, being spoilt for choice can be overrated. Sometimes, like when deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment, it's easier to have someone else do the picking for you. With that in mind, Pinot Palooza goes all in on pinot noir — and here, the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass is the standard soundtrack. For cheese fiends, imagine a place where cheese reigns supreme, other than in your own kitchen. Imagine a wide array of different varieties on offer for the tasting. Imagine being able to sample whatever you liked from this dairy feast, too. And, picture just buying one ticket to devour all the cheddar, brie, camembert, raclette and whichever other cheeses take your fancy. Is this the real life? Yes — it isn't just a cheesy fantasy. Bringing Pinot Palooza and Mould together is both a stroke of genius and the result of the two events both being organised by the same company. Revel first starting clinking glasses filled with pinot noir in 2012, then turned its attention to cheese, cheese and more cheese in 2017. The full lineup of folks that'll be letting you sample their wares hasn't yet been revealed, but it will include Innocent Bystander, Vinteloper, Yering Station, Meadowbank Wines, Charteris Wines and Howard Vineyards on the wine front, plus Milawa Cheese and Bruny Island among the cheesemongers — and Bee One Third honey and Women's Work relishes, too. And yes, your $59 ticket still includes unlimited tastings at the fest's featured stalls. You'll also get a free cooler bag, wine glass and tote. "Mould x Pinot Palooza is the ultimate celebration of two of life's greatest pleasures — cheese and wine. This year, we're bringing together Australia's best artisan cheesemakers alongside a stellar lineup of pinot noir producers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond. It's a chance for food and wine lovers to immerse themselves in the incredible diversity of local cheese and world-class pinot," said Jessica Audas, Head of Revel. "More than just a tasting experience, this event is about discovering the magic of perfect pairings — where the right cheese and pinot can elevate each other in unexpected and unforgettable ways." Mould x Pinot Palooza 2025 Dates: Friday, May 23–Sunday, May 25: John Reid Pavilion, RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane — Friday (5–9pm), Saturday (11am–3pm and 4–8pm), Sunday (11–3pm) Friday, July 4–Saturday, July 5 — Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Melbourne — Friday (5–9pm), Saturday (11am–3pm and 4–8pm), Friday, August 8–Sunday, August 10: Silver Jubilee Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth — Friday (5–9pm), Saturday (11am–3pm and 4–8pm), Sunday (11–3pm) Mould x Pinot Palooza is touring Australia between May–August 2025. For more information, and for tickets, head to the Mould and Pinot Palooza websites. Select Mould images: Dexter Kim.
